


The Alternate Adventures of Rose Tyler, Part I

by memyselfandwe



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Break Up, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Growing Up, Human Doctor (Doctor Who), Jealousy, Multiple Relationships, Older Man/Younger Woman, Regret, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-16 19:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 85,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9286241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memyselfandwe/pseuds/memyselfandwe
Summary: AU; Human Doctor(s)Following Rose Tyler as she grows from a teen to an adult.After her first love, David, breaks her heart she meets a mysterious man who takes her away and teaches her that life can be an adventure.This is Part I of a 2 part series, the second series will be two separate stories labeled A and B based on which direction you want Rose to go after Part I.





	1. Chapter 1

Rose was folding t-shirts when a woman's voice bellowed throughout the shop, "will you stand up straight and stop complaining!" She chuckled to herself as she listened to the woman holler again, "you are too skinny for words, are you eating enough?"

Figuring the woman was arguing with a child, Rose decided to offer her some help and was shocked to see it was a boy from her school. His name was David, she never talked to him before, but that never stopped her from looking. Maybe it was the hair. He was energetic, smart, and kind of goofy, but in an adorable way.

She moved closer to the two and she noticed David growing annoyed with his older sister Donna, as she forced him to try on several different suit jackets, "I like the blue, how about you?"

"Yeah, I suppose its fine," he sighed in agreement. "You know I have a perfectly good suit at home."

"Well, this is for my wedding and I want you to have a new suit," Donna handed him the jacket she picked, along with matching trousers, "now we need shoes."

"What," David whined, "what's wrong with the shoes I have?"

Donna looked down at his feet, "you mean those chucks? I don't think so." 

"Come on, Donna, just let me have this one thing," he pleaded.

"Seriously? You honestly think that is a good look? That's why you need a girlfriend to help you learn how to dress." Donna noticed Rose staring, "hey, can you come over here and help me fix my brother," she held out a hand as if she were presenting him.

Rose headed toward the pair, watching David glance away while looking slightly embarrassed.

Donna held up the suit jacket, along with the shirt and tie for Rose to see. "I have a wedding coming up and I want this one," she pointed toward David, "to wear a new suit. We agreed on this suit here, but now he wants to wear those shoes and throw the whole thing off."

Rose picked up the shirt and jacket and held it up to his chest. She asked him to hold it as she took a step back and took a moment to enjoy her view while she looked him up and down. "I don't know, I kind of like it," she said in all honesty. David grinned ear to ear, pleased with her answer then looked at Donna with an "I told you so," look and stuck out his tongue.

Donna rolled her eyes, "honestly, it must be a teenager thing." She took the shirt and jacket back from David. "There's nothing wrong with being comfortable," David added.

"Fine," Donna groaned, "but you better not complain about anything else." She grabbed the rest of the clothes and huffed as she walked to the register.

"Thanks for taking my side, not many people are brave enough to disagree with her," he nodded toward Donna.

"I've had lots of experience," Rose grinned, "my Mum isn't easy to argue with either."

David's grin grew wider and he laughed, "fair enough. So, I've seen you around school, what's your name?"

Rose blushed, shocked that he's noticed her before, "my name's Rose, Rose Tyler."

"David," Donna yelled from the register as she paid, "don't forget, we have dinner reservations in twenty minutes!"

"Yes Ma'me," he saluted, then turned back to Rose, "well, I guess I'll see you around school." He waved to her as he jogged back to his sister, "thanks for your help, Rose Tyler."

Rose stood frozen, and waited until he was out of the building before she let out satisfied sigh.

* * *

For the first time in ages, Rose couldn't wait for the weekend to end so she could go back to school and see David. Her imagination got away from her during that time as she played different scenarios in her head of David confessing his love to her and whisking her away. She knew that wouldn't really happen, but it was fun to think about.

Sunday afternoon she left work and walked to a nearby coffee shop to unwind. As she waited for her order, she stepped aside and checked her phone. She was oblivious to everything around her when she heard a familiar voice, "hello, Rose Tyler." She glanced over and saw David sitting at a small table, working on his homework.

"Hey David," Rose said surprised, "what brings you here?"

"I had to get out of the house," David replied, "I have a lot of family coming to town for the wedding and I have to finish my work."

Rose looked down at his books, "what are you working on?"

David held up a paper with a very complicated formula written on it, "physics." 

Rose took the paper from him and examined it, "wow, impressive. I never understood physics myself."

David took the paper back, "it's actually a side project I'm working on for school." He leaned toward her and whispered, "I'm going to invent time travel," he sat back with a smirk on his face.

Rose giggled, "ok, but when you do, can you please go back and stop me from trying to dye my own hair when I was 14?"

"Deal," David laughed, "was it really that bad?"

Rose nodded and started to blush, "I thought it would be fun to dye my hair pink while my Mum was at work. I managed to get more pink dye on the floor and counters than in my hair." She began laughing at herself, "I didn't even spread the color evenly so I ended up with pink blotches in my hair, some darker than others. I ended up having to cut it and that made it worse."

David's laughter intensified.

"Stop it," Rose shoved his shoulder playfully, "it took weeks before I got my hair looking somewhat normal again." Rose started laughing again, remembering how ridiculous it looked.

"Do you have any pictures of it," David asked.

Rose smirked, "like I would ever show them to you, or anybody for that matter."

"Aw, come on," David pouted, "you can't tell me a story like that without letting me see some evidence."

Rose stood up, "no," she said sternly but in a joking manner. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get home. My Mum is waiting for me so I can help her with her hair before her date tonight."

David waved goodbye as Rose walked to the door. "I hope you're not dying it," he yelled before she exited.

Rose looked back and laughed while shaking her head no.

* * *

The rest of the week was uneventful for Rose. She used to see David at school all the time, now that she was hoping to see him, he was nowhere to be found. She caught a glimpse of him in the hallway a couple of times on her way to class, but neither had time to talk. He still managed to make eye contact, shooting her a grin and a wink, as he passed by.

Another Sunday came around and Rose was once again headed to the coffee shop after work. When she walked in, she found David sitting at the same table as he did the week before. Once he spotted her, he smiled broadly and waved at her, inviting her to join him.

She got her coffee and sat down across from him, "so, how was your sister's wedding?"

David took a drink from his mug and swallowed, the look on his face told Rose that things didn't go as planned, "well, Donna left him at the altar."

"What," Rose gasped.

David held up his hands, "before you go judging her, let me explain. Just days before the wedding Donna learned that he was involved in some shady stuff, like illegal stuff. She told me about it and we did some investigating and it was far worse than she originally thought." David took another sip of coffee, watching Rose's expression as she listened intently, "the morning of her wedding I went with her to the police station and she told them everything." He tried to hold in a giggle as he pictured it in his head, "she was still in her wedding dress too, running around the streets trying to hail a taxi, everyone thought she was crazy. One guy even thought she was in drag."

Rose laughed, easing the tension, "how did your Mum take it?"

"Oh, she was livid," David told her, "but after the police came and arrested him, she eased up...a little."

"Yeah, but all that hard work and planning," Rose said.

"Well, we still had the reception," David admitted.

"Really," she asked.

"Yeah, we ate, drank, and danced the night away. We even have some great photos since the photographer was already paid for. It was the most fun, non-wedding reception I've ever been to. I would have invited you but I don't have your phone number...," David's cheeks started to turn pink, the words escaped him before he could stop himself.

The two sat silently for a moment as the tension intensified between them. David stared down at his coffee and his eyes raised to hers, "can I," he cleared his throat, "can I have your phone number?"

Rose felt the heat burning in her cheeks, "yeah, give me your phone." After typing her number in his phone, she handed it back to him and their hands grazed each other's. They both fought the urge to reach back for each other.

After a moment Rose's phone beeped and she frowned as she read the message, "it's my Mum, she texted 911 so I need to get home." She got up and started to gather her things while speaking sarcastically, "the world must be ending."

"Ok," David chuckled. Deep inside he was sad that she had to leave so soon and waved to her as she exited the shop.

Rose began walking home, she didn't like the fact that she had to leave already, but she was still happy about how their meeting went. Her phone beeped again and she saw a message from a new number. It read, "have a good night, Rose Tyler."


	2. Ch 2

Rose was having an unusual dream about people who looked like cats when suddenly alarms started going off and she woke, realizing it was her alarm. She reached over and smashed the off button then sat up with her eyes still feeling heavy. As she stretched, she reached for her phone and her eyes blinked awake when she saw a new message from David.

"Good morning," was all it said, but that was enough to get her up and moving.

"Good morning to you too," she wrote back and quickly got ready for school.

As she applied her make-up, her phone buzzed with another message, "the world didn't end last night, so I'm guessing everything went ok."

She giggled and replied, "yeah, I saved the day again. It will be a dark day before another spider decides to crawl into my mum's cupboard."

He wrote back, "Rose Tyler, defender of cupboards," making her laugh.

* * *

 

Rose didn't hear from David for the rest of the morning, which didn't surprise or bother her. They couldn't have their phones on in class and even if they did, David was devoted to his schoolwork. Rose wished she could enjoy school as much as he did, but she found some subjects difficult, not for lack of trying.

When lunch time came around, Rose headed outside to sit under a big tree like she did every day and ate her sandwich. As she chewed, she attempted to figure out her algebra homework. She was so caught up with her studies that she didn't notice the figure sitting down beside her.

"What have you got there," David asked from over her shoulder.

Rose slammed her book shut, "just getting a head start on homework. Nothing interesting, not like physics or time travel."

David plucked the book from her hand and thumbed through it, "I wouldn't say that, algebra is quite excitng too. Do you need any help?"

Rose fell silent, she was a little embarrassed to admit that she needed help. Especially to a boy like David who was brilliant as he was.

David noticed her reluctance, but he honestly wanted to help. He also wanted to spend more time with her and this was a perfect opportunity. He met her eye, "I don't mind. We can even meet at that coffee shop. Just tell me when and I'll be there."

"Okay," she finally uttered.

"Brilliant," David exclaimed a little too loudly and a passing student shot him a look.

Rose glanced at the time and noticed that lunch was over. She gathered her things, with David's help, and he even walked her to her class.

* * *

 

Wednesday morning, Rose woke earlier than normal and took a little extra longer getting herself ready. She had plans to meet David after school, sure it was just for a tutoring session, but that didn't mean she couldn't look nice. She took a final look in the mirror, then hurried off to school.

Rose was certain that the clocks ran slower that day and the prospect of getting help with her homework really distracted her from school for the rest of the day, which was counterproductive. When the last bell rang she hurried out of the school and found David outside waiting for her.

His face lit up when he saw her coming and he offered to carry her bag for her as they walked to the coffee shop together. He was way more enthusiastic about Algebra than Rose was and bounced all around her as they walked, telling her the importance of the subject and what she can do with it.

They entered the coffee shop and went straight for the table they normally sat at and got right to work. Rose pulled out her notes to show David what they were currently working on and what she already knows, which wasn't much. "I thought multiplying and dividing wasn't too bad, then they have to throw letters and parenthesis to throw me off," Rose groaned.

"Aw, don't think of it like that," David told her. "It's a lot easier than you think, you just need to find the unknown, kinda like a mystery."

His smile was very comforting, but also very distracting. Rose decided that it would be better to not look at him so much and to instead focus on the work.

He began writing out a problem on a piece of paper and explained it to Rose by telling her some crazy story about good and bad moving companies. He was very animated shouting boo to the bad moving company and making sound effects of glasses breaking. He even grabbed the attention of a couple of nearby children who snuck away from their parents to listen to David's funny story.

Whatever it was that he did, it somehow worked. Rose wasn't an expert but at least she was beginning to understand how to work out the problems. He also made the time fly by, quite the opposite of how time seemed to run during the school day.

The sun was beginning to set and David glanced at his watch, pouting, "it seems we've run out of time."

"Well, thank you for your help," Rose smiled as she packed up her bag, "you actually made sense of it all, those kids might have even learned a thing or two. Have you ever thought of teaching?"

"Sometimes," David shrugged, "but I think physics is my calling. I don't mind tutoring though, it was fun."

"You've never tutored before," Rose asked surprised.

"Nope," he replied popping his p. "This was a first, and I wouldn't mind trying it again."

"Well, you should, you're good at it." Rose stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, "you can even make some money."

She began to inch toward the door and David jumped to his feet, his chair skidding back noisily, "I mean…you. I would like to tutor you again." He rubbed his neck and stared down at his feet shyly, "unless you want to...maybe, go out some other time, like a date." He glanced up giving Rose the most adorable puppy dog eyes she has ever seen.

"Yeah," Rose blushed, "I'd like that."

Rose started to back up  again and David stopped her again, "Just to be clear, did you say yes to me tutoring you again, or to me taking you out?"

"Both," Rose giggled, "I really had fun today and would like to see you again."

He smiled, "right, good, brilliant," and waved to Rose as she slipped out the door.

As Rose walked away, she couldn't help but glance back through the window, seeing David almost dancing around the table in excitement.

 

It wasn't too long after she arrived home when she got a call from David. She excused herself and slipped into her room and answered.

"Rose," she heard David ask.

She smiled at his nervousness, "hi, David."

"Hi," he replied, "you're not busy are you? I can call back, or you can call me if that's better."

"No," Rose laughed, "I was just watching tele with my mum."

"Oh, good," he said, "I wanted to see if you were free friday night."

Rose couldn't stop smiling if she tried, "as a matter of fact I am." She heard a tiny squeak on his end and tried not to giggle.

"Would you be interested in meeting up, at seven maybe," he asked.

She paused for a moment and she could feel his tension through the phone, "sure, but is this for a date or for tutoring."

"A date," he blurted out, "unless you don't want to..."

"No," she corrected him, "I mean I do...yes. Uh, what did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise," he said enthusiastically, "so, I guess I'll see you then?"

"Not if I see you first," she replied.

"Right," he said, "because of school..."

Rose laughed, "goodnight David."

"Goodnight, Rose Tyler," he said.

She ended the call and walked back out into the living room, getting an odd look from her mum when she saw the giant grin on her face.

 


	3. Chapter 3

It was Friday night and Rose was trying to find something to wear on her date. Since she didn't know where they were going or what they would be doing she decided on a denim skirt and a pink sweater. Hopefully he wasn't planning anything too fancy, but if he was she figured he would have told her.

He was going to pick her up, but Rose wanted to save him the embarrassment of meeting her mum and insisted they meet at the coffee shop.

When she arrived, she found him leaning against the wall outside the coffee shop. He was wearing a dark blue button down shirt and a pair of denim trousers.

He approached her with a hand behind his back, "I know it's cliché but…" and pulled out a single long stem rose.

Rose accepted the flower, "it's not cliché at all," and sniffed it, inhaling deeply. She hummed happily at the pleasant scent, "you'd be surprised, but no one ever gives me roses. Probably because they think it would be silly."

David offered Rose his arm in a gentlemanly manner, "well, shame on them," and he walked her to their destination.

"So, what do you have planned for us tonight," Rose asked.

"Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt?"

Rose laughed, "not since I was five, but it sounds like fun."

He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, handing it over, "this isn't your typical scavenger hunt, it's a photo scavenger hunt."

Rose unfolded the paper and it read:

1) Something you love to eat

2) Something you hate to eat

3) Selfie with a mannequin

4)Selfie with a stranger

5)Mirror selfie

6)Pic of your dinner

7) Selfie of you eating your dinner

8) Wildcard

"This sounds amazing," she exclaimed as she looked over the list, "when do we start?"

"Whenever you want," David pointed around them, "there are shops, restaurants, and whatever else you need all around."

Rose pulled out her cell phone and grinned, "ok, me first." She approached a nearby table with a couple eating dinner outside a restaurant. "Excuse me," she told the woman as she snapped a pic of her plate of chips. The couple looked completely surprised and leaned toward each other, whispering in confusion as they watched Rose walk away without another word or explanation. She tried to keep a straight face, but David burst into laughter when he noticed the couple's shocked faces. His laughter was contagious and Rose burst into laughter as well, starting to feel embarrassed but glad she did it.

"You win this round Rose Tyler," David said while checking off number one. "Are we competing," Rose asked. David shook his head, "No, not really. It's just going to be hard top that," he said pointing back to the direction of the couple behind them.

David held his phone up, "My turn," he said and he jogged over to a nearby food stand and snapped a pic with his phone, then returned to Rose, showing her the photo.

"Pears? Really?" Rose giggled.

"I hate pears," David shuddered as he thought of the taste.

Rose laughed at his reaction, "ok, number 3." She glanced around and found a clothing shop and they walked in. She walked up to a nearby male mannequin and took a selfie as she pretended to kiss it on the cheek. She walked back to David showing him the pic.

"Great, I take you on a date and he gets the kiss," he said playfully, making Rose blush.

He grabbed Rose's hand, surprising her nicely and pulled her out of the store looking for a stranger. "Be right back," he told her before he sprinted off toward an older, balding, man who was innocently walking down the street. David caught him by surprise when he tossed an arm over his shoulder, held up his phone, and yelled "smile." He snapped the pic and started running back before the man could figure out what happened.

Rose almost fell over, she was laughing so hard she had to grab the wall for support. "I can't believe you just..," she couldn't finish, she just pointed back at the man.

David laughed along with her, "that may top your first pic."

Rose took a breath and fanned the tears in her eyes from the laughter, "definitely."

Rose looked back at the list and glanced around looking for a mirror. She saw a very large one outside a shop and then grabbed David's hand. She smiled at him, "come on," and she pulled him along. They stood in front of the mirror and she stood very close to him getting ready to snap the pic. Before she did he reached behind her, put his hand on her waist, and pulled her close. In return she put her arm around his back and placed her head against his shoulder and took the pic. They both looked at it, pleased with how it came out.

David held out the paper and they both looked at it, "ok, number six." He paused as he read it, "I guess we gotta go get dinner." He took Rose's hand again, which was becoming normal for them, and they walked to a diner.

"So, how did you come up with this idea for the scavenger hunt," Rose asked as they looked through the menu.

David continued looking at his menu, "saw it in a magazine once, I thought it would be fun to try."

"It is," Rose said happily. "I love it."

They both looked at eachother from across the table, lost in eachothers eyes until the waitress came and ruined the moment. They both ordered burgers and their food arrived quickly.

"I believe it was your turn," Rose told him while pointing at the list.

"Oh yeah," David pulled out his phone and snapped a pic. He looked back at the list, "I believe that leaves you with the next one."

Rose grimaced, "This will probably be the most unappealing selfie ever." She took a bite of her burger while snapping a selfie then put her phone down.

"What, I don't get to see it," David whined.

Rose groaned and handed the phone to him.

He grimaced the pic, "ooh, that is unappealing," he teased.

Rose playfully kicked him under the table and he smiled while popping a chip in his mouth.

Rose looked at the last one, "what's a wildcard?"

"Whatever you want it to be," he told her.

"Hmm," Rose made a pondering face, "I'm gonna need time to think of this one."

After dinner they walked back to their meeting place hand in hand and it was getting late.

"I had an amazing time tonight," Rose said.

"Me too, but it's not over until you check off that last one." He held the list up, "have you thought of something?"

"Maybe," Rose said with a devilish grin.

David stopped, "what?" and his eyebrow began to rise.

Rose took her phone out, switching it to selfie mode. She extended her arm and pressed her lips to his before snapping the pic. She caught him by surprise so by the time he realized what was happening it was over. She pulled away and glanced at the photo on her phone. It came out nicely and she smiled at him as she showed him the pic,."I think that's my favorite."

David just nodded wordlessly, looking helpless. Rose giggled at his reaction, she found him so adorable. "Well, I suppose I'll see you…" and started backing up.

He nodded again, jaw still hanging open, and he watched her as she began to walk away, frozen in shock. He snapped back to his senses and called out, "can you send that to me?" Within a minute she sent all her pictures from that night to his phone and in return he sent his to her phone.


	4. Dinner with Jackie

Rose worked her usual morning shift on Sunday morning, but this time she had a visitor. She saw David peeking over a rack of men’s shirts while she helped another man find the right shirt and tie combo. She couldn’t help but glance in David’s direction continuously, watching him duck every time the man looked to see what she was looking at.

The man finally made a choice, thanked Rose and left. She gathered up all the discarded shirts and ties that the man felt unworthy and headed back in David’s direction to put them away. “You’re going to get me in trouble,” she said half joking.

“Sorry,” David said shyly, “I was just wondering if you were planning on going for coffee again, after you are done here?”

“You could have texted me and asked,” she nudged him, “but, yeah, I usually do.”

“Texting is no fun if I don’t get to see you,” he said bashfully. “Besides, how do you know I didn’t also come here to buy a new shirt?”

Rose finished putting the other shirts away and walked closer to him, “I can definitely help you with that, what’s the occasion.”

“I don’t know,” David shrugged, “Maybe a movie, dinner, mini golf… It depends on what you would like to do, perhaps this weekend?”

Rose bit her lip and smiled, “are you asking me out again?”

“I’m trying to,” his cheeks began to glow.

“Then I think I have something perfect for you,” Rose summoned him with a finger and he followed.

* * *

 

 When Rose’s shift ended she walked to the coffee shop with David, once again holding hands. “You’re not going to start spying on me at work now, are you?” Rose joked.

“Nah,” he shook his head, “I was just anxious to see you again and I really did need a new shirt.”

They entered the coffee shop and, as always, they took their table. They drank coffee and talked for nearly three hours before Jackie called looking for her. After a short argument with her mum, Rose got off the phone, “I guess it’s time for me to go home,” Rose sighed.

“I still can’t walk you home?” David asked as they exited the shop.

“Not yet, especially now that my mum is in a bad mood.” Rose told him. “If you want, I can set up a day for you to come over for dinner.”

“Ok,” David said quietly. “Rose made her mum sound frightening, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

He began to get nervous about the whole arrangement until Rose spoke. “Does this mean we are officially a couple?”

He faced her, holding both hands in his, and he ran his thumbs slowly back and forth over her knuckles. “I think it does.”

“yeah?” Rose smiled.

“yeah,” David smiled in return.

He stared into her eyes, studied her face and watched her lick her lips in a silent plea. He felt time freeze around him as savored the moment. He reached one hand up, cupped her cheek and felt his heart reach out to her as he leaned down and kissed her. Gently at first, he didn’t want to ruin the moment by being overzealous. Then Rose parted her lips and deepened the kiss sending a pleasant tingle down his spine.

They equally pulled apart, knowing that Rose needed to leave. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, yeah?” Rose asked.

“Of course,” David lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before letting her go.

* * *

 

 Two weeks, four dates and about a dozen kissing sessions had passed before David was permitted to come to Rose’s flat for dinner. Rose nervously paced around the kitchen, trying to help with whatever she could.

“I don’t know why you’re getting yourself so worked up?” Jackie told Rose as the two set the table.

“I just want everything to go well, that’s all. I really like him and I hope you do too.” Rose said while placing the last of the silverware.

“Well, your grades have improved since you’ve been seeing him, how can I not like him.” Jackie said while walking back into the kitchen to finish cooking.

The bell rang and Rose felt all the butterflies in her stomach go into a frenzy. She walked to the door but not before she stopped to check her appearance in the mirror along the way. She took a deep breath and opened the door. David stood there holding a small vase of flowers. He was wearing black slacks, a white dress shirt with a tie and of course his white chucks.

“Hi,” she said while looking him up and down.

“Hi,” David said in return.

After a moment of gazing at each other, Jackie yelled from across the room. “Are you going to invite him in or are you two just gonna stand there oogling each other all day?”

Rose let out a small laugh and took David’s hand guiding him inside. She knew David was nervous too because his palms were sweaty. She brought him into the dining room where Jackie was setting out the food.

“Hi, you must be David,” Jackie said pleasantly.

“Ye-yes I am,” he stuttered out and held the vase of flowers to Jackie.

“A gentleman, I see,” Jackie said to Rose, immediately impressed. She then set the vase at the center of the table and they all sat.

“Rose tells me you are at the top of your class,” Jackie said while handing around a basket of rolls.

“I wouldn’t say the top,” David replied humbly.

“Sorry, he’s second from the top.” Rose added and David sunk in his chair feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t be shy,” Jackie told him. “You should be proud. What are your plans after you finish school here?”

“I’m going to be a physics major. I’ve planned on attending Oxford since I was little.”

“Oxford, that’s not too far from here, is it Rose?” Jackie asked her.

“Still over an hour,” Rose grumbled. She was happy for him, but didn’t want to think of him leaving.

David noticed her reaction and decided to change the subject. He asked Jackie lots of questions about Rose, her childhood and shared his own stories in between so she didn’t get too embarrassed.

After dinner they sat in the sitting room for tea and looked at old photos of Rose, her dad and even one after the famous pink hair incident. Rose swore never to forgive Jackie for that but David promised to find one of himself equally embarrassing.

“Nothing can come close to that,” Rose told him, still red from embarrassment.

“I don’t know,” David said leaning back on the couch and draping an arm over her shoulder. “There was a time I read a chemistry formula wrong and burned my eyebrows off.”

“Seriously?” Rose laughed, trying to picture him without eyebrows.

Once they realized how late it was, David decided to head home. Rose offered to walk him out.

“Your mum isn’t a scary as you made her sound.” David told Rose as they walked down the stairs.

“No, that’s because you're on her good side. Wait until you do something to make her mad, then you will have to face the wrath of Jackie Tyler.” Rose joked with him.

“I’ll remember to stay on her good side then,” he reached the bottom of the stairs and stood against the wall outside the building. He grabbed Rose by the arm and pulled her close, facing him. “Then again, I’d do anything for you Rose.”

Rose crashed her lips into his in a heated battle over each other’s mouths. David now began to let his hands wander lower, caressing Rose’s rear then flipped positions, now pressing her back against the wall. He pulled away from her lips and kissed her cheek, her jaw, then finally her neck. Rose let out a moan that almost broke him and he had to pull away.

They both breathed heavily and he laid his forehead against hers, looking her in the eye. “I really should go before this gets out of hand.”

Rose nodded, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

They stood in place for several more minutes, neither wanting to leave, but knowing that they should. Then Jackie called down to Rose, finally breaking the two apart. They said their final goodnight and then he began his walk home.


	5. Dinner with Silvia

“So, when do I get to meet your family?” Rose texted David later that night.

“I don’t know, if you think your mum is bad. Wait until you meet mine, she has no filter.” He texted back.

“If you can put up with mine, I can put up with yours.” Rose replied.

* * *

 

The next weekend David walked Rose to his house to meet his family. He opted out of dinner and decided on just tea because it was quicker and easier to get out of if things got too uncomfortable.

David’s house wasn’t huge but it wasn’t small either and it sat on a huge plot of land. “This is your house?” Rose asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Well, it’s my granddads but, I grew up here.” David answered. They stepped up to the door and David hesitated, “Last chance, are you sure about this?” Rose nodded and he opened the door, letting her in.

The first thing she saw was Donna’s smiling face, “Hello! If it isn’t the shop girl who bravely stood up to me…” she teased. “Hi,” Rose waved but Donna pulled her in for a hug.

She looked around the room and was pleased to see that it was an average house with a lot of family photos. She got a glimpse of David’s past as she saw pictures of him from all stages of life as well as his sister Donna.

David led her further in, through the house, and out the back door. A small table was set with snacks and tea. Also at the table sat David’s mother, Silvia, and grandfather, Wilfred. “You must be Rose,” David’s mother said pleasantly as she stood and greeted Rose. Rose now realized what David meant, she saw his mother examine her and seemed to already have an opinion of her.

They all sat and David poured himself and Rose some tea, while his mother silently watched. Once they were situated, Silvia turned her attention to Rose. “David tells me you are a year behind him in school?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rose replied with a subtle nod.

“Are you thinking of attending Oxford as well?” Silvia asked.

“I don’t think Oxford is for me. It’s not really what I had planned for my future.” Rose told her.

Silvia set her cup down, “and what are your plans?”

“I-I really haven’t thought of it,” Rose answered nervously. She was starting to regret wanting to come here.

“Quit drilling the poor girl,” Donna snapped at Silvia as she joined them at the table.

“It’s always good to have a plan, Donna.” Silvia argued back, “you didn’t and look where you are now.”

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.” Donna groaned.

“Just fine,” Silvia cackled, “Your job is going nowhere, you are still living here, and you are still unmarried since you never showed up to your own wedding.”

“He was a criminal!” Donna yelled.

“Still, you should have known.” Silvia said under her breath and Donna just rolled her eyes.

“Can we change the subject please!” Wilfred cut in. He looked over to Rose, “So, do you have any hobbies, any interests, or passions?”

Rose thought about it, but her mind was blank, she was so nervous she didn’t know what she liked to do. “I don’t know,” she answered and wanted to smack herself for sounding stupid.

“I’ve got a telescope up the hill,” Wilfred pointed, “when it gets dark I can show you.” He scooted closer to whisper in her ear, “that’s where David and I go to get away from the bickering.” They both glanced up at Silvia and Donna, then back to each other.

Rose giggled along with him, she then leaned back into Wilfred’s ear and whispered “I’d love to.” She looked over at David who was watching them and smiling happily.

With as much as Silvia picked on Donna and pointed out all of her flaws, it was quite the opposite for David. Silvia saw him as the perfect child, he could do no wrong. She boasted over his achievements, his grades, awards, and anything else she could think of.

The sun was starting to set so Silvia finally got up to go and start dinner. Rose helped Donna clean up while David and Wilfred started heading up the hill. Wilfred called over to Rose, worried that she wasn’t coming.

“I’ll be there, I’m just going to help Donna first.” Rose yelled back.

“Granddad really likes you,” Donna told Rose as she gathered the plates.

“I like him too.”

“Don’t mind my mother, there is no pleasing her. Unless you’re David.” Donna huffed that last part.

“Yeah, well, she obviously isn’t very impressed with me.” Rose said plainly.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Donna assured her, “David really cares about you and that’s all that matters. Putting up with her proves what you are willing to do for him.”

They got the rest of the mess cleaned up and Donna sent Rose up the hill to find David and Wilfred.

“There she is!” Wilfred yelled happily while clapping his hands. He then summoned Rose to move faster and she complied. He pointed at his telescope, “Take a look, I set it so you can see Mars.” He watched the amazement on Rose’s face as she peeked. “David is going to figure out a way to get us to that planet, maybe then we can get away from Silvia’s constant nagging.”

Rose laughed, “Well I hope I can come too.”

“Of course you can, I would love it,” Wilfred said. He took a seat on a tree stump and looked up at the sky. Rose sat on the grass beside him and David sat beside her.

“What are your thoughts on extraterrestrial life?” Wilfred asked Rose.

“Uh, I never really thought about it,” Rose admitted. “I can’t really believe we are the only beings in the universe, someone else must be out there.”

“I knew I liked you,” Wilfred said with a wink.

Rose and David laid back onto the grass as Wilfred told them about stars, planets, nebulas, and his theories. Eventually he wore himself out, “I guess dinner should be ready soon, we should head back. Are you staying for dinner, Rose?” He had a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Sure,” Rose told him smiling.

“Good, good,” Wilfred got up, “I’ll see you two down there.”

“No problem, I’m just going to put everything away first.” David told him.

“Ok, just don’t be late.” Wilfred warned, “You know how your mother gets.” He then strolled down the hill happily humming to himself.

David and Rose continued to look up at the stars. He turned to look at her, “Not many people can put up with my grandad’s space babble.”

“I kind of like it,” Rose said, “he is very passionate about it and that makes it enjoyable.”

“I’ve been coming up here with him since I started walking, it’s our special thing I guess.” David said.

“I didn’t intrude, did I?” Rose asked worriedly.

“Nah,” David shook his head then inched closer. “I want to share everything with you Rose.”

“Yeah,” Rose asked with a pleased smile.

“Definitely,” David answered before he dove for her lips. His kiss was intense, Rose immediately put a hand at the back of his head and rubbed her fingers through his hair. She swore she would never get tired of kissing him.

David rolled his body on top of Rose and situated himself between her legs. She did not protest. He once again trailed kisses down to her neck, hoping to hear her moan again and she did not disappoint. Rose felt a wave of ecstasy through her body, not only making her moan but her hands took his hips and she bucked up into him. He groaned and rocked along against her. He trailed his hand up her body, to the hem of her shirt and slowly slid his fingers underneath to caress the bare skin of her stomach. Rose moaned again and pushed her tongue deep into his mouth.

David took that as an open invitation as his reached further underneath and cupped her breast, massaging it through her bra. Rose mumbled something against his lips then grabbed his bum and squeezed. He began pulling down the thin material of her bra while placing kisses across her collarbone when they heard a screech.

“Oh my god, do I need to turn the hose on you two?!” Donna’s voice rang through their ears.

David jumped off of Rose and pulled his knees to his chest, hoping to hide the bulge growing in his pants. Rose, however, threw her hands over her face and just wanted to disappear.

“Dinner is ready, you two better get yourselves together and get down there.” Donna pointed toward the house, “Mum is getting suspicious and for good reason too, apparently.” She huffed and started heading down the hill, mumbling about teenagers and hormones.

David stifled a laugh and Rose groaned, “this is going to be the most awkward dinner ever.”

“Don’t worry, you got me.” David assured her as he pulled her to her feet. They walked down the hill, hand in hand.

They walked into the home and Rose had no control over the paleness in her face. She avoided Silvia’s judging stare and took a seat between David and Wilf.

“Glad you can make it,” Silvia said mockingly.

“I found them fiddling with grandad’s telescope,” Donna said while taking her seat. She gave Rose and David a warning look.

Rose sunk further into her seat.

“Where you showing her the stars?” Wilfred asked David.

“I sure was,” David said with a giggle.

Donna shot him another warning look and he stopped.

Rose remained quiet for the remainder of dinner, she was still embarrassed about being caught by Donna and she worried that Silvia had an idea what was going on. Luckily Wilfred was there to help ease the tension a little.

When dinner was finished, Rose shot up to help clean up. She felt an extreme need to impress Silvia, especially now, after what she was caught doing with her son. Then Donna offered to drive her home and Rose quickly agreed. They climbed into Donna’s car and as soon as the door shut Donna began lecturing them. The entire ride home was spent hearing Donna tell them they were young and they need to control themselves and so on.

They pulled up to the Powell Estate and Rose thanked Donna for the ride. “It was great seeing you again Rose. Just keep that one under control.” She pointed to David who was grinning like a loon.

Rose said goodnight to David with a quick peck on the lips and ran inside the building and up the stairs. Happy that the evening was over.

 


	6. Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to note if anyone thinks David's character is a little OOC, I'm trying to make him seem young and a little immature for now. Thanks to everyone for the kudos so far :)

* * *

 

Months went by and the Christmas season was upon them. Rose and David agreed not to spend much on gifts since Rose couldn’t afford much. Rose said as long as it’s from the heart, that’s all that mattered. David had other things in mind but ever since being caught by Donna, Rose told David they needed to slow things down a bit. It still didn’t keep him from trying from time to time.

Rose worried about what to give him as the holiday fast approached then she got an idea. She found a scrapbook that didn’t cost much and filled it with photos from their first date, as well as other photos they took over their time together. She included other small items like ticket stubs, brochures, menus, and anything else of significance.

Just for laughs, on the cover of the book she put a copy of her bad hair photo and David’s no eyebrow photo, that she got from Donna. She labeled it with their names and the date they first met. She was overall pleased with it and showed it to her mum who found it adorable. She wrapped it up and put it under the tree.

Christmas morning Rose and Jackie opened gifts together. Rose got her some new earrings, a dressing gown and some slippers. Jackie got Rose new headphones, a jacket, and a few new shirts. Overall it was a wonderful morning.

Jackie made breakfast and as they ate Jackie told Rose she had one more gift for her but she had to wait until David arrived to give it to her. “He didn’t spend a lot of money on me, did he?” Rose worried.

“No, nothing like that,” Jackie assured her. “Just wait until he gets here, you’ll see.”

Rose waited impatiently for the afternoon, when David was supposed to arrive. He knocked at the door and Rose was there to open it immediately. “Merry Christmas!” He said happily and gave her a quick kiss. He was holding a single present that was labeled for Jackie so Rose was even more curious than before. David walked over to Jackie, giving her a hug and handed her present to her. She opened it up and it was a set of lotions that Rose told him she likes.

Rose brought David to the tree and gave him his gift. “I really hope you like it.” Rose said nervously.

David smiled at her as he removed the wrapper and he laughed when he saw the two photos on the cover. “I love it already,” he exclaimed. Rose felt relieved when she watched him flip through the pages happily.

When he was finished Jackie came in and handed Rose a box. “This gift is from me but David has something for you too.”

Rose unwrapped the package and was shocked. It was a tablet, and a good one too. “Mom, this must have cost a fortune.” She knew her mum couldn’t afford big things like that and felt guilty about it.

“Don’t worry,” Jackie told her, “I won it in a raffle that I never expected to win. I have no use for those things so I thought you would like it.”

“I love it,” Rose exclaimed giving Jackie a tight hug.

“I’m glad,” Jackie pulled away. “I’m going to let David have a moment while I go make us some coffee.”

“Ok,” Rose looked at David who patted the seat next to his. She sat down and he handed her the tablet. “When your mum told me she won this tablet and was going to give it to you, I came up with an idea for your gift.” He reached across and tapped the screen pulling up a video and it started playing immediately.

It was David, holding a camera onto himself and he was at their school. “Hey Rose,” David said from the tablet. “I have a little story for you, behind me is our school and I never told you this story but, it was here,” he pointed the camera to the area around him and then to a ledge along the side of the building. “This spot right here,” he pointed to the ledge again. “This is where I was sitting with a couple of my mates when I first saw you.” He sat down on the ledge he was speaking about, “we sat here, just talking, and you walked by with your mate Mickey. You laughed about something and as soon as you smiled, you had me. I even sat on this ledge for two weeks hoping to see you again but when I did, you were with Mickey so I kept my distance.”

The scene changed and now David was at her job, “Now I know you remember this place,” he shot the area around him. “This is where we first met, officially. I didn’t know you worked here so when Donna called you for help and I saw you coming, I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I worried you would laugh at me but, thankfully you saved me from Donna and it gave me a chance to talk to you.”

Next he was sitting at their table at the coffee shop, “you know, it’s like fate kept bringing us together. When I saw you standing there, waiting for your coffee, I almost didn’t say anything but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t so I called your name. Lucky for me, you joined me and I got to know you a little better…

David visited every place of significance in their relationship and told her his side of the story and his feelings.

When the video ended, Rose was crying. She never knew their story from his point of view and it was so beautiful. David waited anxiously for her to say something, afraid she didn’t like it. “Was it ok?”

Rose nodded, unable to speak and dried her eyes. She pulled him over and kissed him deeply and he pulled her closer to himself, returning the kiss. Several moments went by before Jackie had to go out and pull them apart.

* * *

 

 New Year’s Eve, Jackie accompanied Rose to David’s house. Rose worried about David’s mum, but luckily there was no drama between the two, they even somewhat got along. Jackie really hit it off with Donna and understood why Rose cared so much for his grandad Wilf after getting to know him.

Overall, the night was a blast. They played games, danced, and told stories. Before midnight David took Rose outside, and up the hill after promising Donna that he would behave himself. “It’s too cold outside anyway,” David joked, but Donna didn’t find it funny.

At the top of the hill, David checked the time on his watch. “Two minutes,” he told her.

“Why up here?” Rose asked. “Not that I mind, I like it up here.”

“Because, this hill holds a special place in my heart.” David told Rose as he moved a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Not because of what happened over there that one night,” he pointed at the ground beside the tree stump. “It was up here that I realized how much you mean to me.” He took a deep breath, realizing how nervous he was. “What I’m trying to say is I-”

Rose cut him off with a kiss, understanding what he was trying to say. Fireworks started going off and cheers could be heard from within the house, so they knew that it was the new year. Not satisfied with himself, David pulled away just enough. “I love you,” he breathed out then captured her lips again.

“Oi, you two!” Donna called as she walked up the hill followed by the rest of the group. “You told me you would behave.”

“We are,” David defended himself. “There’s no rule against kissing into the new year.”

Jackie walked over to Rose to give her a hug and saw her crying. “Is everything alright?” she asked as she wiped Rose’s tears.

Rose smiled and nodded, “better than alright.”

Rose and David made their rounds, through the group, as they welcomed the new year. They finally got back to each other and David hugged Rose to keep her warm. “It’s a new year to spend together.” David said happily.

Rose’s smile faded and she looked away. “Except you will be gone for half of it.”

David guided her eyes back to his and placed her hand on his heart, “you are always with me, Rose. Even when we are apart.”


	7. A first time for everything

Several more months passed and Rose was with David as he packed and prepared to leave for Oxford. “It’s only an hour and a half away,” David assured her.

“I know, I’m just going to miss seeing you all the time.” She told him sadly.

“I can still call you,” he said. “Not to mention I will be back for holidays or any other time I can get away.

“Yeah,” Rose faked a smile. “I suppose I can try and sneak up that way sometime too.”

“I’d love it if you did.” David said, returning the smile.

“So, do you want to go out for dinner tomorrow? I don’t think your family will let you go out on your last night here, so tomorrow may be the only other night we could have some time to ourselves.”

David crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, “Well, I was going to ask you, but I guess you beat me to it.”

 

* * *

 

Rose waited for David at the restaurant. She decided she wanted to look her best and wore a new black dress and heels. Her hair was curled and her makeup was carefully applied. She worried that she overdressed but she was pleased when she saw David come in wearing the suit that she helped him with when they first met, shoes and all.

He almost didn’t recognize her and his jaw dropped once he spotted her. Rose laughed at his animated expression. He carried with him another rose and before he handed it to her he took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman.

“What made you get all dressed up,” Rose asked.

“Me?” David played surprised, “look at you, I feel inferior to you right now.”

“What, this old thing?” Rose joked, “seriously though, you look great.”

It was a perfect night for the two, they dined, talked about their future, and to remember the moment they had their picture taken. “No sense getting all dressed up if we don’t make a memory of it,” David said as they looked at the photo.

David didn’t want the night to end as he walked Rose home. His feet felt heavy as he climbed the stairs to her flat, thinking this is probably the last time he will be here in a long time. Rose opened the door and he followed her in so he could say goodbye to Jackie.

Rose walked through the flat then back to David, “Mum isn’t home yet.”

She began to run her hand up and down his chest then grabbed his tie, pulled him down to her, and kissed him. The kiss was hard and passionate and they had to pull apart just to breath. “I’ve been imagining doing that all night.” Rose said still panting.

“I should wear a suit more often then,” David said with a smirk.

“Definitely,” Rose said before kissing him hard again then shoving him onto the couch. She climbed onto his lap, straddling him and grabbed his hair with both hands and kissed him more.

“Rose,” David groaned out, struggling to speak against her lips. “what if your mum walks in?”

“She won’t,” Rose breathed into his ear before trailing her tongue from his ear and down his neck. She felt him grow hard between her legs and she grinded down on him, making them both moan simultaneously.

“When is she coming home?” he huffed.

“Tomorrow,” Rose teased with a smile. “She’s out for the night.”

David gave Rose that helpless look he gave her the first night she kissed him. She stood and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor and watched David’s eyes widen as he tried to focus on everything at once. She began walking to her bedroom and saw David still sitting on the couch, frozen and staring at her in disbelief. She paused at the doorway, “are you coming or do I have to do this myself?”

That was all he needed to hear as he bound across the couch and ran toward Rose, picking her up and carrying her into her room. Rose laughed as he tossed her on her bed, threw his jacket aside and climbed on top of her. Months of patience rewarded him as he trailed his mouth down her body, undoing his tie in the process.

He couldn’t undress fast enough as Rose worked at the buttons on his shirt and he undid his belt. “Are you sure about this,” he asked again, fearing he wouldn’t be able to stop himself if it got any further. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

Rose didn’t answer, she just pushed his back down onto the bed and started kissing his stomach while she continued to undress him. As he lie fully naked and she almost was, they both realized that neither of them really knew what they were doing because it was a first for either of them.

He was hard and ready. Rose wanted to touch him, she reached out and grasped him in her hand. David's hips thrusted off the bed and he threw his head back, groaning loudly. She barely moved before he stopped her hand. “I don’t think I can hold on if you do that anymore.”

Rose let go and he pulled her to him and kissed her while attempting to unhook her bra. Rose had to give him a hand but let him finish. He pulled it off and rolled her over.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said as he took her breast into his mouth. Rose squirmed underneath him as he rolled his tongue around her nipple, down her stomach, and to the edge of her panties. He slowly peeled them off and glanced back up at her, making extra sure that it is what she wanted. She nodded to him in approval and he continued then leaned into her, licking her and tasting her.

She lifted her hips off the bed and her juices flooded his tongue, her flavor was intoxicating. He couldn’t take the throbbing in his cock any more as he climbed back up her body, spread her legs and placed his tip at her entrance. “I love you Rose,” he said before he slid into her.

Feeling her tight muscles quiver around him, David knew he wouldn’t last long, not this time. He pumped into her and had to stop. “I’m sorry Rose, this feels too good. I’m not sure I can…”

Rose hushed him with a kiss, “it’s ok,” and she began moving her hips with him, urging him to continue. It wasn't long before he lost it. He pushed in then out a few times and he was already coming. He lost all sense of guilt as the climax overtook him and he collapsed onto Rose’s chest. He breathed heavily for a moment before he looked up at her, “I’m so sorry Rose.” He said feeling embarrassed about his performance.

“I told you it’s ok,” Rose smiled. “It was perfect because it was with you.”


	8. Oxford, Martha, and long distance relationships

Donna loaded the last bit of luggage into her car while David and Rose shared a very long goodbye. “I don’t want to be the one to put an end to this, but I would like to get there before dark.” Donna warned.

David looked into Rose’s eyes, trying his hardest to remain strong despite her tears. “I promise, I’ll call you when I get there and get settled in. He cupped her cheek and wiped a tear away with his thumb. “I’ll be back here before you know it.”

Rose nodded before he pulled her in for one last, passionate kiss. Sadly, it was cut short when Donna honked the horn, earning an evil glare from David as if she cared.

David climbed into the car and shut the door, never taking his eyes of Rose. The engine started up and the car set off down the street. Rose waited by the road and watched as David was taken from her.

Inside the car, David’s tears that he had been holding in, began to flow. He didn’t speak for nearly the entire ride, he felt like this was wrong. All his life he worked toward this and now it felt like he was making some kind of mistake.

When they arrived, Donna helped David move his things to his new accommodations and they met his roommate Matt. He was odd, and clumsy, and wore a bowtie, but seemed friendly. He welcomed them in and even helped David unload all his belongings. He had the energy and enthusiasm to match David’s which put them both at ease.

After he was all moved in, it was time for Donna to leave and now it was her turn to cry. “Come here you…” she croaked as she yanked David into a hug. “You behave yourself and call me if you need anything.” David nodded into her shoulder while hugging her back. After letting go she turned to Matt, “make sure he stays out of trouble,” she told him with a wagging finger.

“I’ll try,” Matt said with a sideways glance, unsure if he would be able to keep himself out of trouble.

After she left, David plopped down on his bed and let out a sigh.

“Long day?” Matt asked.

“The longest.” David replied then pulled out his phone to call Rose as promised. 

 

* * *

 

For the next two weeks David and Rose would call or text each other non-stop. He called her after school, she called him after work, and any other free time they could find. Soon after that, however, David started getting more and more work to do and less time to talk. Rose understood and told him to call when he had free time. She knew he would be busy and didn’t want to hold him back. Unfortunately, his free time always landed during her work time. So they had to schedule phone dates just so they knew they would have time to talk.

Rose decided to fill her free time with work by taking extra hours that way she could pass the time, earn extra money to help her mum, and save some so she could take a trip to visit David one weekend. The way things were going though, she didn’t know when that could be.

School was harder for Rose too. Being there every day without David was hard on her and not having his help hurt her grades a little. But she pressed on, taking it day by day. Luckily she still had Mickey and Shireen to keep her spirits up.

David was incredibly busy with school, he seemed to always have some kind of project or research paper going, twice the amount of homework, and he spent far more time studying than ever. He shared several classes with his classmate, Martha Jones. She was smart, dependable, and hardworking just like him. They made a great pair so they partnered up on many projects. She also carried an obvious crush on David that he noticed but he already told her that he was in a committed relationship, more than once. She accepted that reluctantly and did not hold it against him, but she would love to have a day without hearing the name Rose Tyler, just once.

Rose stumbled out of work on a Friday night, it was a bad day to say the least, and she needed to vent. She knew David could always make her smile when times were bad so she called his phone hoping he would be free to talk, even for just five minutes. She listened and it was answered by an unfamiliar female voice.

* * *

 

Martha and David were out eating pizza as they worked on a paper together. David got up to run to the bathroom, leaving his phone on the table. When it rang Martha saw who it was and although she didn’t care for Rose and wanted David to herself, she also knew he would hate to miss a call from her. She picked up his phone and hit answer. She was curious as to who this girl was anyway and why David cared about her so much.

Martha heard nothing on the other end and looked at the phone seeing that she hung up. David came back to the table seeing Martha with his phone and the horrified look on her face.

“What is it?” David asked concerned.

“Rose called, I didn’t want you to miss it so I tried to answer it for you then she hung up.” Her eyes were apologetic.

“What?!” David asked frantically. He snagged the phone out of Martha’s hands and ran out the door, dialing his phone in the process.

Martha watched David out the window as he dialed a second time and then a third and a fourth. Eventually he gave up, Rose wasn’t answering. David stood outside staring at his phone for a moment as if he could make it ring then turned back to the restaurant. He walked in and went straight to the table, “Why? Why would you just answer my phone?”

“I’m sorry,” Martha’s apology was sincere, “I didn’t want you to miss it.”

“Do you have any idea what she can be thinking, hearing another girl answering her boyfriend’s phone. Especially since we haven’t had a chance to talk in over a week.” David was tense and Martha could tell he was trying his hardest not to lose his temper.

“I thought she knew we were working together.”

David’s shoulders dropped and he gazed away, “No, I haven’t,” he cleared his throat, “I never told her that I was working with anyone.”

“What?” Martha shouted, “We are in almost every class together, we’ve worked on numerous projects together, why haven’t you mentioned me to your girlfriend?”

David rubbed his neck, “I’m sorry, it’s not you. I just don’t get to talk to Rose very often so most of our conversation is about us. Plus, I don’t want her to worry about anything that she doesn’t need to worry about.”

Martha crossed her arms, “No, there isn’t anything to worry about, so you should have told her.”

David picked up his things, “look, I’m going to work on this at home and we can meet at lunch tomorrow to finish. Ok?”

Martha nodded, “Ok, I really am sorry.”

David half smiled, “I know.”

* * *

 

Rose walked home and didn’t even bother to say hi to her mum when she walked in. She went straight to her room, locked the door and buried her face in her pillow to drown her sobs. “Who the hell was she?” Rose asked herself. “Why is she answering his phone?”

Rose rolled over and looked at her phone and the missed calls she ignored from David. “He did try and call.” She told herself, wondering if she should have just answered. While she thought about this, her phone buzzed and there was a text from David. It just said, “Hi.” She typed “hey,” in return. His next message said, “can we talk?” Rose stared at the words for a moment before sending, “sure.”

Her phone rang immediately and she answered it without saying anything.

“Rose?” David said nervously.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, I went to the bathroom and I didn’t know Martha was going to answer my phone. She had no business even touching it.” David said immediately.

“Who’s Martha?”

“Yeah, I should have mentioned her before. She just yelled at me for not saying anything either.”

“So, who is she.” Rose felt silly sounding so jealous but she was.

“She is just my classmate, we partner up on a lot of projects. Just for school, I promise.”

“So, why didn’t you tell me this before? Why was it a secret?”

“What?” David sounded surprised, “It’s not a secret, I just never thought to mention her.”

Rose wasn’t satisfied, “So, what about me? Does anyone there know about me or are you keeping that a secret as well?”

“Rose, you know the answer to that.”

There was a silence on the phone before Rose spoke, “I’m sorry David. I know I should trust you more. I was just having a terrible day and wanted to hear your voice. I guess the timing was wrong.”

“I’m sorry too, Rose. How about next weekend we take some time to talk? I should have a light weekend anyway and a lot more downtime than normal. Then I can tell you about everything and everyone.”

“I’d like that,” Rose said.


	9. Surprise visit

Rose thought about what David said about having a light weekend and more time to talk. She really wanted to see him and decided now would be a good time to take a trip and surprise him. Knowing her mum would be against it, she needed to plan carefully and maybe bend the truth just a little. She pulled out her cell and called the one person who she knew could help her.

* * *

 

Saturday morning, Rose met her friend Amy  outside her house. Amy lived with her aunt and she wasn’t highly supervised so it was easy for her to borrow her aunt’s car for a whole day and she wouldn’t even notice. She was also highly adventurous, so she often agreed to such things. “So, what did you tell your mother?” Amy asked as they got into the car.

“The truth, I said I was hanging out with you today. I just didn’t say where we were hanging out.” Rose smiled at the surprised look on Amy’s face, then she made a call to let Matt know they were on their way.

Rose got Matt’s number after David first arrived. David’s non-stop talk about Rose had Matt curious so he grabbed David’s phone out of his hand while he was talking to her one afternoon. He just wanted to say hi and they became instant friend’s. He told Rose to call him if David ever gave her any problems.

Matt promised Rose that he would sneak her in while David was out, so with David sitting at his desk he had to figure out a way to make him leave. Figuring he still had over an hour before they arrived, he put very little thought toward the plan.

When he got his next message from Rose saying they were there, Matt realized that hour went by way quicker than he thought it would. He began to panic as he looked around the room, trying to come up with a quick plan. His eyes settled on a cup of coffee that David was drinking from the coffee shop down the way. Matt figured that if it spilled he could convince him to buy another. He just needed to make it spill.

Matt walked past David’s desk, trying to casually brush against the cup and knock it over as if by accident. However, instead of being subtle, Matt backhanded the cup forcefully and sent it airborne, into the wall. There was a huge mess on the wall, the floor and on David. David stood and started wiping his shirt with a napkin while Matt helped him and apologized.

“Oh my,” Matt said while helping David dry off. “Sorry about that, clumsy me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out some money. “Here, let me buy you another.”

David looked at the money in his hand, “No, it’s ok. I need to finish what I’m doing so I can call Rose. I want my head clear when I talk to her.”

“Yeah, well, caffeine helps with that, doesn’t it? It stimulates the brain cells or something like that…” Matt started wiping the coffee off the wall, hoping David didn’t see the suspicious look in his eyes.

David began to sit back down, “No, really, it’s ok. I’ll get one later if I need it.”

Matt hurried over to him, “No, I insist.” He grabbed David by the hand and started pulling him to the door. “You’ve been sitting at your desk for too long. Go on, stretch your legs, get some coffee, get a sandwich.” He opened the door and started pushing David out. “Do whatever you want, just go and don’t come back for the next seven or eight minutes.”

David stumbled into the hallway then looked at Matt confused. “Wait, why sev-,” he was cut off by Matt slamming the door shut. He stood there for a moment wondering what kind of nonsense got into his roommate’s mind. He was odd, however, so he didn’t ponder it much more. He decided he could use a quick break while Matt cleaned up the mess.

Matt was still leaning against the door, ready to hold it closed if David tried to come back in. It was silent for a minute, then he heard footsteps. He slowly opened the door and peeked out seeing David walking away. He waited until he turned the corner and disappeared before giving Rose the all clear.

As soon as Rose got the message, she and Amy took off running toward the building. They didn’t know how much time they had and Rose had never seen Matt so she didn’t know who she was looking for. Luckily Matt has seen Rose’s pictures so many times, he had her face memorized. The two girls ran down the hall and Matt signaled for them and pointed to the room. As soon as they were in, Matt shut the door and gave Rose a hug like they were old friends.

Matt introduced himself to Amy and, as promised, the two took off before David arrived. It was his idea and he didn’t mind keeping her friend entertained while Rose and David had some time alone. Rose took a walk around the room. She saw his bed and sat down, picking up his jacket and holding it up to her face, breathing in his scent that she missed so much. On his bedside table was a framed photo of them, the one they took at dinner just before he left, a night they both cherished. On a shelf next to his bed was the scrapbook she gave to him for Christmas. She didn’t know why she questioned it because it was obvious that he thought about her all the time. Then Rose’s breath caught as she heard the doorknob jiggle.

The door swung open and David stepped in with a new cup of coffee in his hand. “Ok Matt, I got another coffee, are you hap…Rose!” He dropped the cup, making a new mess on the floor and he leapt over to her lifting her in the air and spinning her around. Their lips crashed together as they tried to make up for every kiss they missed over the last couple of months.

David pulled away to breathe, “when did you get here?”

Rose giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck, “just a few minutes ago, Amy drove me.”

David looked around, “oh, where is she?”

“She went with Matt for a walk. It was his idea, he wanted us to have some time alone.”

David grinned, “remind me to thank him later,” and he pulled Rose into an intense kiss.

Rose tugged David with her as she climbed onto his bed, not breaking the kiss. They both wanted nothing more than to be as close as possible. Clothes came off fast but this time David swore to himself that he was going to go slow, he didn’t want to repeat his last performance. 

* * *

 

Later that day, David and Rose emerged from his room, both very satisfied. He was eager to show Rose around as he took her on a tour. They ran into many of his classmates along the way and he introduced her to everyone proudly. Rose was almost embarrassed by how much she found out he talked about her, but she loved hearing it regardless.

Word quickly spread and eventually made it to Martha. She felt a little bit insulted that her friend and study partner never told her that Rose was coming, unless it was a rumor. She pulled out her phone and decided to text him, “How’s it going?”

Rose and David walked into the pizza parlor for a late lunch, they were both starving by that point. They had just sat down when David got the message.

“Who’s that?” Rose asked.

David looked at the message, “just Martha, she wants to see how I’m doing.” He typed a reply, “things are great. Rose just came in and surprised me, we are at the pizza place now, having lunch.”

After he hit send David looked up at an angry Rose. “What is it?”

“She checks up on you now?” Rose felt silly being jealous.

“What? No. She’s probably just checking to see if I finished my part of the work.”

Meanwhile, Martha read the message she just got from David. She was upset because she felt that pizza parlor was their special place and now he was taking Rose there. She couldn’t take it anymore, she had to see who Rose was and what was so special about her.

Rose wasn’t satisfied with David’s response. She saw how girls were always looking at him and he carried a charm about him to match his looks. He was also oblivious when it came to other girls flirting with him, or maybe he just ignored it. Either way, Rose wanted to know who Martha was.

Both girls got their wish as Martha stepped through the door and zeroed in on David with who she could only assume to be Rose. Martha looked her over and mumbled to herself, “of course she is blonde,” she plastered on a fake smile and headed to the table.

David didn’t notice Martha approach because he was too busy with Rose and that really got under her skin. Martha cleared her throat, loudly, to get their attention. David looked up and his smile was brighter than she had ever seen. “Hey, look who it is!” he exclaimed, “Martha Jones meet Rose Tyler.”

Rose’s eyes snapped to Martha. She looked at Martha and it didn’t help her worries that she was really pretty. The two greeted each other and Martha took a seat without asking. As if Rose wasn’t even there she turned to David, “So, did you finish?”

David rubbed his neck nervously, “Well, not exactly. I’m almost finished but Matt spilled my coffee and kicked me out. Then Rose came and surprised me so I’ve sorta had my hands full all day.”

“Literally,” Rose added with a devilish smile before taking a sip of her soda.

Martha pretended to ignore Rose's comment, “I just hope you finish soon. Remember this affects me as well as you, so I need your full attention, ok?”

David nodded bashfully, then looked out the window seeing Matt and Amy walk by. “I’ll be right back,” he announced then ran out the door.

Rose and Martha were left at the table alone with a quiet tension. Martha was the first to speak, “So, how long are you staying?”

Rose shrugged, “Just a few hours, we are leaving tonight.”

“I hope this doesn’t become habit, showing up unexpected.” Martha faked a smile, “I know it’s nice to see him but remember how hard he is working, I don’t want to see him fall behind.”

Rose’s eyebrows shot up, Martha’s tone resembled that of an overprotective mother and he already had one of those. “He’s not going to fall behind, you forget we’ve been dating for a while now and our relationship has never affected school before.”

Martha crossed her arms, “Yes, but you don’t understand how much harder it is now.”

Before Rose could say anything Amy, Matt and David returned to the table. Martha took that moment to exit with a quick goodbye and a half-hearted apology for not staying. Rose’s jaw still hung open, she did not like being insulted without being able to defend herself.

“What’s up,” Amy asked, seeing Rose’s expression.

Rose shook her head, “nothing, we’ll talk later.”

Amy shrugged and changed the subject, “we need to come up here more often, it’s amazing.”

David’s eyes widened with excitement, “yeah, you should.”

“I can’t,” Rose said sadly, “I still have a job and I don’t know if I would get away with sneaking out all the time.”

“Well, I can.” Amy said.

“What about Rory,” Rose whispered but not quiet enough.

“Rory,” David cut in, “how is he, why didn’t he come?”

Amy froze, she obviously hasn’t mentioned him to Matt and to her surprise, Matt took no interest.

“He’s busy,” Amy answered quickly.

“Ok,” David answered, reading the expression on her face. He turned his attention back to Rose, “So, I never did ask. How long will you be here?”

Rose glanced at the time on her phone and frowned, “just a couple more hours, Amy needs to get the car back by tonight.”

“Oh,” David said sadly. He went silent as he thought then jumped to his feet, grabbing Rose by the hand. “Let’s make it count then,” and started pulling her away.

Rose gave Amy one last smile, “I created a monster,” then followed him out the door, running.

Amy and Matt stayed at the table. Amy knew Rose wouldn’t be back for some time and Matt knew he wouldn’t be able to come home for a while either. So he grabbed a slice of the remaining pizza, smiled, and turned to Amy, “So, who's Rory?”


	10. A misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to change in the relationship.

* * *

 

A week passed since Rose’s visit and David was back on the phone asking if she is planning to come again anytime soon.

“I already told you, I can’t come up there too often.” Rose told him.

“Aww, come on. Maybe if you tell me when you’re coming, I can make some plans for us.” David said.

“I don’t know, I think we made good use of our time,” Rose teased.

“Quite right,” David said. “But I do have some other places I would like to take you to as well.”

“Yeah, but don’t you have papers to write, or homework, or something taking up a lot of your time?” Rose asked.

“Well, yeah, but it doesn’t keep me from going out from time to time.” David told her.

“That’s not what Martha told me.”

“What did Martha say?” David asked, confused.

Rose sighed, she felt so childish, “she said you are busy and I shouldn’t be taking up all of your time.”

“What?” David sounded shocked. “She doesn’t get a say in how I spend my time.”

“I know,” Rose said, “but, she does have a point. You are a lot busier than you use to be and you don’t have as much free time as you did before.”

“Now you’re telling me how to manage my time too?” David sounded offended.

“No, David. That’s not what I meant.”

“Listen,” David’s voice started to raise. “I’m capable of handling my school work and still have a social life. I don’t need people telling me what I need.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Rose tried to calm him.

“David let out a huff, “Just…just…I’ll call you back.” And he hung up.

Rose looked at her phone in disbelief. Was he really that upset over something like that? Tears welled up in her eyes, she didn’t like fighting with David, especially with him gone. It is so much harder making up when they were so far apart.

She wanted to call him back, but maybe he did need a few minutes to cool off. How long was she supposed to wait? What if he doesn’t call back?

 

* * *

 

After David ended the call his hand was frozen as he looked at the screen. He couldn’t believe he did that, without warning. He almost called her right back, but he was still upset. He was an adult now, he worked hard to get to this point and he never needed someone telling him when to study before.

He walked back to his room and laid on his bed. Matt looked over, seeing David looking upset. “Everything all right?” He asked.

“Yeah, just have a lot going on. I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Fair enough,” He sat on his own bed, “I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” David said, taking his phone out again. He scrolled through it, stopping at Rose’s name. He wanted to call her back but he had something to settle first. He scrolled back up and texted Martha, “can we talk?”

Martha was at the library, buried in her work as always when she got the message. She quickly replied, “yeah, I’m at the library. You can meet me outside.” She was curious what this was about, he only talked to her about school and this seemed like something more.

She waited outside anxiously and saw him coming, he didn’t have his normal bounce in his step, instead he looked very serious. “Hey, is everything ok?” Martha asked once he got closer.

“Did you tell Rose not to take up my time?” His voice was deeper than normal too.

The shock on Martha’s face was evident. “No, nothing like that.” She paused and looked down at her feet. “Well, I just said that you are working hard so maybe she should give you some space. I didn’t think she would take it the wrong way.”

David pointed a finger at her, “you don’t get to decide how I spend my time. If you are worried about me not getting my stuff done, stop working with me. I’d rather work alone.”

David’s words stung, Martha couldn’t help feeling insulted. “I’m sorry, I was just looking out for you.”

“Next time, talk to me first. Don’t take it upon yourself to counsel my girlfriend.” He backed up and walked away.

Martha was speechless. She was angry, she doesn’t like being talked to like that. She was also mad at herself for saying anything in the first place, and most of all, she was so tired of hearing about Rose.

 

* * *

 

Rose sat up in her room, she wasn’t crying anymore. Now she was upset, being hung up on is the rudest thing he could have ever done. What has him so upset anyway? She wanted to call him to get to the end of this but still wasn’t sure if she should. So she decided to text Matt. If David was at home, then maybe he could tell Rose what was going on. She pulled out her phone and sent, “Hey.”

Matt looked at his phone, and typed back. “Hello.”

“Is David there?”

Figuring Rose knew David’s daily life he replied, “No, he’s with Martha.”

When Rose read those words her heart felt like it shattered. Of all things, of all people, why Martha. Why wouldn’t he just talk to her instead of running away?

 

* * *

 

David walked home, thinking about everything that happened within the last two hours and he felt guilty. He should have never ended the call that way, he should have just controlled his temper. As for Martha, that was a whole different issue to deal with. David looked at his phone and took a moment to think his words carefully then called her.

Rose saw the call coming in but she really didn’t want to talk now. What would she say and could she even believe him? This was just too much and she knew she wasn’t thinking straight so she just ignored it. He tried a second time and she still ignored it and after that she just turned off her phone. David’s next attempt didn’t go through, he knew she was ignoring him.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, David headed inside. Once he walked in the room Matt greeted him. “Hey you. Did Rose get a hold of you?”

“No,” David said.

“Oh, you should try calling her then. She texted me asking if you were home.”

David raised an eyebrow, “what did you tell her?” He was pretty sure he knew the answer but was hoping he wasn’t right.

Matt was too busy with his studies to see the expression on David’s face, “I told her you were with Martha.”

“No!” David yelled, “no, no, no, no, no!” He was pulling at his hair and fell face first into his pillow.

He laid still as Matt approached him, “what’s going on? Rose knows you and Martha or study buddies.”

David rolled onto his back and laid his arm across his face to hide his eyes. “We got into a fight and it mostly revolved around Martha. It’s a silly argument, but maybe telling her that I was with Martha may not have been the best idea.” David took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I don’t know what to do, she isn’t answering her phone right now.”

Matt awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, it was the most comforting gesture he could think of. “So if she won’t answer, let’s find someone who will.” He pulled out his own phone, “I have Amy’s number, maybe she can help.”

David sat up, “you have Amy’s number? You do know she has a boyfriend, right?”

“Yes, yes, I know all about Rory. I’m not interested in a romantic relationship with anyone right now, but she was very nice to talk to.”

He dialed her number and handed David the phone. After she answered David talked fast, he tried explaining his side of the story and although she did not agree with the way he treated Rose initially, she did offer to help him.

Since Rose still had her phone off, Amy went to her house.

* * *

 

“I’m not in the mood to speak to him right now,” Rose said after listening to Amy.

“Well you can’t go on ignoring him for too long. That will just make things worse.”

“I know,” Rose said, “but, it’s only been a couple of months and we are already having issues with girls throwing themselves at him. You should have seen the way Martha treated me once he left us alone. She treated me like a child who needed discipline.”

“You and I both know David only wants you,” Amy said while pulling Rose into a comforting hug. “Guys like that are hard to come by, don’t ruin it with a silly misunderstanding.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Rose admitted, “But, you should take some of your own advice.”

Amy took a step back, “what do you mean?”

“I saw you flirting with Matt,” Rose said while playfully poking her in the shoulder.

“I was not,” Amy defended herself, “besides, he isn’t interested anyway.”

“Fair enough,” Rose pulled out her phone and turned it on, “Let me call him back.”

Amy slipped out and left Rose alone to talk to David.


	11. David's visit

The next month flew by for David because the term was coming to an end. Despite what he told Rose, he did find himself slightly overwhelmed with school. Talking to Rose became a rare opportunity because with Christmas approaching, she too was overwhelmed with work.

As for Martha, David agreed to work with her but she had to stay out of his personal life. He was strictly all business and never talked about anything that didn’t pertain to the project at hand. As much as Martha enjoyed not hearing about the great Rose Tyler, she still missed her friendship with David.

When the term ended it was David's turn to surprise Rose. She knew he was coming home, but she didn’t know he was planning on coming in a day earlier than planned. Neither did his family, that way he could sneak over and visit Rose first without getting held up at home.

Back home, Rose sat in her room trying to come up with a gift idea for David. Everything seemed so common and after last year, she didn’t know what to give next. She had Mickey over, thinking a guy’s opinion would help but he was useless.

“I don’t know why you want my help,” Mickey said, “you haven’t liked one idea I’ve had.”

Rose paced back and forth in her room, “they’re just so average, I want to give him something from the heart.”

Just then, Rose heard knocking at her door.

Mickey looked up at her, “expecting someone? Maybe another guy who’s ideas you'll shoot down.”

Rose playfully smacked him, “I’ll be right back.”

She jogged to the front and swung the door open expecting anyone but David, who stood there smiling and Rose dove into his arms. “You said you were coming in tomorrow.”

David squeezed her tight, “yeah, well, I figured I would surprise you this time.”

They stepped inside and as David walked further in, Mickey emerged out of Rose’s bedroom.

“Hey, if it isn’t Mr. Bigshot himself,” Mickey announced sarcastically. “I thought you weren’t due in until tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” David shook Mickey’s hand firmly, his eyes slightly narrowed. “I thought I’d surprise Rose.”

“Well, apparently you did.” Mickey looked at Rose, “I guess this is my cue to leave.”

Rose nodded, “yeah, and thanks for your help.”

Mickey gave her a wave and left.

David looked around the room, “where’s your mum?”

“Out.” Rose said casually while she began kissing his neck.

David’s head was spinning with jealousy, “so, do you and Mickey hang out in your room often?”

“What?” Rose said with a laugh. “No, he was just helping me with something.”

“I bet,” David said shortly.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Rose snapped while stepping away.

David shrugged, “I don’t know, but one thing I do know is that Mickey has been after you for a while. Years from what I’ve heard.”

Rose was furious, “Are you being serious? If you really want to know, Mickey was helping me figure out what to get you for Christmas. So don’t go accusing me of doing something I’m not!”

“Yeah, just like how you didn’t accuse me of doing something with Martha?”

Rose threw her hands in the air, frustrated. “We’re bringing her up again. You know, if this is really going to be a problem, just leave.”

“Fine,” David gritted through his teeth before he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Rose sat down on the couch horrified.

Outside David paced back and forth, trying to get his anger under control. He leaned against the wall and threw his head back against it so hard it hurt. He stepped forward and turned to look at her door one more time before he walked away.

The next morning Rose came into work, her eyes still puffy from crying. She was still upset at David and so tired of him always running away. She just wanted to forget about it, get her day over with, and then maybe they could work things out.

Halfway through her day she spotted David wandering around the store, most likely looking for her. She caught his attention and she could see the relief in his eyes. He hurried over, “Rose, I’m so sorry.”

Rose nodded, looking down at her feet. “It’s alright, I guess you had a point.”

“Yeah, but I should trust you more than that.” David said in a whisper, he didn’t want to get Rose in trouble.

“I guess we both need to work on that.” Rose finally broke a small smile.

David smiled back and glanced around him, “I thought you worked in men’s clothing?”

Rose shrugged, “I moved up to women’s fashion.”

David’s eyes widened, “oh, when did that happen?”

Rose took a moment to think, “about a month ago.”

“Why didn’t you mention it?” He asked.

“I thought I did, but we really haven’t talked much these last few weeks.”

David took a deep breath, “yeah, sorry. Can I see you after work, maybe talk things over? Perhaps at our coffee shop.”

Rose smiled, “yeah, I’d like that.

 

* * *

 

After work Rose went straight to the coffee shop and found David at their usual table with a huge grin. When she approached him, he stood and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry Rose,” then kissed her.

After pulling away from each other, they sat down. David already ordered for her and had it all ready, just how she liked it. The next two hours they talked everything through, apologized several times and kissed several times more than that. Overall, it was quite an evening.

They left the coffee house hand in hand, “what are you going to do now?” Rose asked.

“Well, everyone is coming over for a big welcome back dinner. I know it’s last minute, but do you want to come?”

“Do you think your mum would get mad?” Rose asked.

“Nah, she knows to expect you at big gatherings like this.”

Rose smiled up to him. “That be great.”

“Do you need to call Jackie?” David asked.

Rose shook her head, “She has Howard over, it’s best for both of us if I don’t come home for a few hours anyway.”

David gave Rose an inquisitive look, “Howard from the market?”

Rose laughed, “yeah.”

“How long has that been going on?”

“A few weeks I guess,” Rose shrugged. “He suddenly started delivering to the door, just to see mum.” Rose laughed. “It took her a while to figure it out.”

“Heh,” David chuckled. “I guess a lot of things have changed.” He mumbled under his breath.

When they arrived at David’s house Rose was glad to see that Sylvia had already set a place for her at the table. She even tried to act happy to see her but Rose knew she wasn’t all that thrilled.

Luckily, Wilf was beyond happy to see her and nearly knocked the plate of hors d’oeuvres out of Donna’s hand while zipping across the room to hug her. “I’m glad to see you could make it.” Rose hugged him back happily.

During dinner David told stories about his last few months, some even Rose didn’t know. Sylvia took any opportunity she could to tell Donna that she could learn a thing or two from David and Donna just rolled her eyes, trying to tune her out.

Once David was tired of talking about himself, Wilf turned his attention to Rose. “I got the telescope all set up, if you want to go up there after dinner. There’s a meteor shower tonight.” He pleaded with his eyes and Rose realized where David got that from.

“I’d love to.” She said smiling back at him and she could tell that he could barely contain his excitement.

David leaned over and whispered in her ear, “he really loves you.”

Rose whispered back, “I love him too.”

As soon as dinner was done and cleaned up, Wilf wasted no time getting his coat on, urging Rose and David to do the same. He was prepared with blankets, hot chocolate, and cookies. “Let’s go,” he signaled for them to follow as they headed up the hill.

It was a brisk night but the sky was clear and they could already see the activity in the sky. “Would you look at that,” Wilf announced in awe. “There really is no need for a telescope.” He made it to the top and sat on his favorite tree stump, pouring himself a mug of hot chocolate.

David laid a blanket on the ground and sat. Rose sat in front of him and leaned back against David’s chest and he wrapped a second blanket around them. They looked up and watched the streaks fly through the night’s sky.

“Did you know meteorites use to be called thunderstones?” Wilf said, looking at Rose.

“No, I never heard that.” Rose answered.

“Yeah, several hundred years ago.” Wilf looked back up in the sky, “They were thought to be the product of thunderstorms. They’re really just rocks from space, falling into the atmosphere.” Wilf poured two more mugs of hot chocolate for David and Rose and handed them over. He sat back down and continued. “That steak of light is heat from the air surrounding the meteorite, not the rock itself. It gets so hot the air glows.”

Rose loved watching Wilf as he talked about things like that. He talked on and on and she never got bored because he spoke with so much awe, how could she? They sat out there for over an hour before Donna came to get them all.

“Well, so much for our fun.” Wilf said sadly. “I guess it’s time anyway, my toes are feeling numb from the cold.” Wilf led Rose and David back to the house, still telling stories and then looked at Rose, “even though David’s gone, you are still welcome to stop by. I can teach you all about the solar system before he comes back again.”

Rose smiled and rested her head on Wilf’s shoulder, “that sounds great.”

David followed behind the two, savoring the moment.

 

* * *

 

David borrowed Donna’s car to drive Rose home. It took some convincing, but he assured her that they were mature adults and aren’t going to do anything in her car. She handed over the keys and on the way out he said, “she’s never going to let us live that moment down.”

After parking the car David offered to walk Rose upstairs, he said it was what a good boyfriend would do. Upon reaching the building David grabbed Rose and pulled her in for a proper snog. He could almost feel Rose melt into him when he did. He pressed his forehead to hers, “you know, you amaze me every time I’m with you.”

“How’s that?” Rose asked.

“I don’t know, just watching you tonight. You’re just a beautiful person.” He leaned down and kissed her again, slipping his tongue between her lips and sliding his cold fingers up the front of Rose’s shirt. She jumped from the shock of his cold fingers but he held her still until she adjusted then he reached under her bra.

Rose pulled her mouth from his, “you promised Donna you would behave,” and grinned mischievously.

David huffed and he pressed his body harder against hers, “No, I promised we wouldn’t do anything in her car. We aren’t in her car, are we?” He pinched her nipple to hear Rose groan, he was starting to learn what she liked.

Rose grabbed his hand to stop him. “No we are outside, where anyone can see us.” She slowly started to pull away, “but tomorrow, my mum will be at work and I won’t be if you catch my drift.”

David pulled her back into him, “fine then, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed her one last time and said his final goodnight.


	12. All good things come to an end

The next day Rose texted David to let him know that Jackie had left for work. He changed clothes and told his family he was going for a run and that is what he did. He ran all the way to Rose’s place and practically pounced on her when he got there.

They spent a good portion of their day in bed and as evening neared they thought it would be best to get out before Jackie got home. They walked about aimlessly, “I guess I should have told my family I was going for a very, very long run,” said David and they both burst into laughter.

“Well, you sure burned some calories,” Rose joked back, bumping his hip with her own.

“Yeah, but still, maybe I should check in.” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and it showed six missed calls.

“Looks like you’re already in trouble,” Rose sang.

“Yeah, looks like.” David pressed a button and saw all the calls were from Martha.

“Martha?” Rose said annoyed, “What the hell is she calling you for?”

“I honestly don’t know,” David said, hoping she believed him.

He started to put his phone away and Rose stopped, crossing her arms. “Apparently it’s important if she keeps calling you.” Rose stared him down and he quickly gave in.

“Fine, I’ll call her back. Since you still don’t believe me.” He yanked the phone back out of his pocket and called her back.

“Hey,” Martha answered cheerfully when she answered the phone.

“Hi, I..uh...saw you called…six times.” David stammered. He looked up with Rose who was still staring at him, arms crossed.

“Yeah, sorry.” Martha said, “I was just really bored and needed someone to talk to.”

“Why me?” David asked, looking at Rose nervously.

“I felt bad for what I did to you a few weeks ago, and I miss having you for a friend. I hope everything is ok with you and Rose now.” Her voice sounded sincere.

“Yeah, everything’s good. I’m with her now, sooo…”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll talk to you later.” Martha said pleasantly then hung up the phone. The smile she forced herself to have while talking disappeared.

“Ok, bye,” David hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

“So? Big emergency?” Rose asked.

“She was apologizing for her behavior when you visited.” David said quietly.

“Right now?” Rose asked curtly, “You know she is just doing this to get between us?”

David looked surprised, “What?”

Rose rolled her eyes, “You really don’t know how women’s minds work.” She could tell by his expression that he didn’t. Letting out a sigh, she continued. “She knows that you are here so, obviously, we are together. She is going to keep calling, to make me think that you two have something going on, and make us fight.”

David was still confused, that sounded ridiculous to him. “So, you know that I’m not doing anything with Martha?”

“Yes, I know you and Martha aren’t doing anything.” Rose said back, annoyance still in her voice.

“Then why are you yelling at me?” David asked angerly.

Rose threw her arms in the air, “because you continue to talk to her, letting her believe there is a chance.”

“But, aren’t you letting her get what she wants by arguing with me now?” David had a smirk on his face, knowing he was right.

Rose groaned, frustrated, “fine, you’re right. I don’t want to argue with you right now, we were having a good day. Just watch out for her.”

“I will, I’ll deal with her later, I promise,” David said as he hugged Rose. He was relieved they avoided another fight, but it bothered him that they were fighting more and more these days.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately for them, that was the theme for the remaining two weeks of his visit. There was non-stop arguing over either Martha, or Mickey, or just any other person of the opposite sex that they wanted to blame at the time. They also argued over not knowing certain details of the other’s life because they never have time to talk anymore. They argued so much that they were exhausted. Then came the talk, on David’s last day in town, that neither of them wanted to have.

They met at a fountain at the center of town, and sat on the ledge.

“When did everything get so hard?” Rose asked, not wanting to look him in the eye.

David shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe we are growing and changing, becoming different people.”

“I don’t feel different.” Rose said.

“Neither do I.” David started playing with a pen he pulled out of his coat pocket, trying to keep his hands busy while he talked. “But, apparently we are, we barely even know each other anymore. I just think it’s going to get harder. I still have a few years of school left and who knows what kind of people we will be by then.”

Rose sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “So, what are you going to do then, after you leave?”

David glanced at Rose then away again, her crying was breaking his heart. “I don’t know, same old life I suppose. Work, study, sleep, just like before.”

“On your own?” Rose asked, she couldn’t bear to think of David moving on with someone else.

He just nodded. Like Rose, he couldn’t think of his life without her.

“How about you?” David asked.

Rose took a moment to catch her breath, “probably just keep working in the shop, and finish school.”

They both sat together, crying for a moment then David had to leave because his heart couldn’t take much more. He stood up, “I suppose I should get home, I gotta finish packing.”

Rose nodded, wiping her eyes. David hugged her one last time and took a moment to remember this feeling, knowing he was going to miss it. He slowly removed her hands and backed away, looking at her one last time before he turned and walked away, leaving Rose in tears.

Rose watched him as he left, wondering if this is really the last time she would ever see him. It didn’t feel real but the ache in her chest told her it was very real. Then she turned and began her long, lonely walk home.

* * *

 

The first month was the hardest. Going about everyday life as if they weren’t brokenhearted proved difficult and fighting the urge to call the other was even harder. David almost had one moment of weakness but thought it was best to delete her number before he did something he felt he shouldn’t. He still loved Rose, he wasn’t sure if he would ever stop, but he knew that it wasn’t working, not like this.

Rose watched the video David made her several times over, wishing she could go back and live those moments again. David didn’t know it, but Rose still snuck over to his house to sit on the hill with Wilf. She couldn’t stand to think of him sitting there alone all those nights David was gone and she really did love hearing his stories. In exchange, he promised not to mention it to anyone.

The second month was a little easier, Rose didn’t cry herself to sleep anymore and David was able to focus better in school. He also had to deal with Martha, who thought she had a chance now, but David just wanted to be alone and although Martha was great, she just wasn’t what he needed.

Then the third month came and Rose met Jimmy Stone.


	13. Jimmy Stone

Everyone has their own way of getting over a lost love. Rose’s way came in the form of a bad boy who just moved to town. He looked older than everyone else, had tattoos, and played in a band. His hair was dark and somewhat long, but he styled it up and combed it back neatly. He had dark, mysterious, eyes and a firm jaw, covered in stubble. Overall, he was a parent’s worst nightmare.

He became the eye candy for the girls at the school and all the guys wanted to be his friend. He was use to the constant attention and even welcomed it, which is why he set his sights on Rose. She was pretty, she was friendly, and she was completely uninterested in him. Jimmy loved a challenge and a girl like Rose is a challenge he was glad to take on.

He started by following her out to lunch. Rose still sat under the same tree and did her homework while she ate, just as always. He came over and sat down next to her, leaning against the tree. “I thought lunch was a time to take a break from school?” He joked.

Rose quickly glanced beside her. “It is, but I have to work tonight so I’d rather get it done now.”

“Ah, a working girl.” Jimmy said, eyeing Rose.

“Yep,” Rose popped her p, a habit she picked up from David and never dropped. She kept working, trying to ignore Jimmy, which really got him excited.

“Where do you work?” he asked.

“A shop,” Rose answered shortly.

“Do you think you’d be free Saturday night, I got a gig, maybe you could come out and watch.” He tried to give Rose a smile but she still wasn’t looking at him.

“Not interested,” She said, never taking her eyes off her books. Rose was relieved when he finally stood up and began to leave.

He stopped and turned back to Rose, “can I at least get your name?”

Rose exaggerated her sigh as she stopped writing and looked up. She was a bit shocked by how good looking he actually was and she almost forgot the question. “Uh, Rose, my name is Rose.”

He smiled at her, “I’m Jimmy Stone,” then backed away and left her to her homework.

Rose was still speechless as she watched him turn and walk away toward a waiting group. He sat on top of a table and the girls practically swarmed to him. Rose quirked an eyebrow, thinking how ridiculous that looked. He’s not a rock star, she giggled to herself but, the other thing she noticed is that he was still staring at her from across the yard. She almost felt like prey and it felt exhilarating.

* * *

 

The next morning Rose walked to school and saw Jimmy sitting outside, waiting for her. He hopped off the wall he was sitting on when he saw her coming and walked up to meet her. “Hey,” he said to Rose.

She tried to hide her smile, “hi.”

“So, I was thinkin’, I never really got to talk to you yesterday.” He looked at Rose to see if she was even paying attention. “How about you let me take you out to a movie this weekend?”

Rose felt a tightening in her chest and a small voice in her head was telling her not to and that this guy was bad news. Then she thought about David and how still missed him, even though they hadn’t talked in months. “I can’t,” Rose said in a soft voice. “I’m just getting over someone and right now isn’t the time.”

“Ok,” Jimmy said, finding her more intriguing. “But I'm not giving up that easy.”

* * *

 

The rest of the week Rose would find Jimmy waiting for her each morning, then he would visit her at lunch and anywhere in between. If Rose could say one thing about Jimmy, he was persistent. He continued to ask her out every day and when she turned him down he just waited until the next day to ask again. It wasn’t long before Rose gave in, she figured one date couldn’t hurt and maybe then he would leave her alone.

She didn’t want her mum or friends to know that she was going on a date, so she kept it a secret. For some odd reason, she didn't want word of it getting back to David, no matter how ridiculous that seemed. 

* * *

 

Two weeks later Rose dove headfirst into a brand new relationship. She really didn’t care who knew anymore, because she was with one of the most popular and most sought after guys in the school and together they were the school’s power couple. She wore his shirts, his jacket, and went to all of his shows. She changed into a whole other person and even her friends were getting worried.

Rose, herself, couldn’t explain what had gotten into her either. Jimmy was never the kind of guy she would typically be with. She acted different, dressed different, and was getting into trouble far too often.

Unfortunately, Jackie had to deal with the worst of it. She didn’t like Jimmy from the start, he was rude, intimidating and had no respect for others. Rose told her it was just an act and he’s not that bad but Jackie knew better. Rose often snuck out of the house too and sometimes she would be gone an entire weekend without a phone call.

* * *

 

Of course word quickly spread and made it to David. How could it not, he still had friends who went to that school and Matt was still friends with Amy and they talked regularly. He first heard the name Jimmy Stone from Rory when they talked one afternoon. Jimmy had just started at the school and Rory was telling him how he saw Jimmy following Rose around the school.

David told Rory he didn’t want to hear about Rose, he was still not over her but then, later, he heard Matt talking to Amy. Rose’s name never came up but Jimmy’s did, often, and Matt kept glancing at David nervously, as if he was wondering if he should say something. Then he heard Matt quietly ask Amy if Jackie heard from her and David knew it was definitely about Rose.

David took the phone from Matt and demanded Amy to tell him what was going on. “Oh, suddenly you are concerned about Rose.” Amy told him shortly. “I’ll say your about two months too late.”

David took a deep breath, pretending he didn’t hear that. “Just tell me what happened.”

Amy took the next hour telling David all about it. She told him about Jimmy, his history, rumors and his sudden interest in Rose. She told him about the change in Rose's personality and the trouble she is getting into now. Then finally she told him how Jackie can’t even control her or stop her from sneaking out. Worst yet, she let him know she disappeared one night, and so did he, and she hasn’t been home in over a week.

David dropped the phone and stormed out of the room. He needed air, or exercise, or something. The room just suddenly felt so small. He knew it would be hard getting over Rose but thinking she is in any kind of danger, or hurt is beyond anything he could have ever imagined.


	14. Chapter 14

Three months passed and Rose was still gone. She wasn’t missing, technically, she called home and told Jackie that she was she was traveling, seeing the world, and she was living a glamourous life. But they were lies, she wasn’t traveling and seeing the world, she barely even made it out of London. Her life was far from glamourous, she spent many nights sleeping in Jimmy’s car and some of those nights she didn’t even know where Jimmy was.

Jimmy’s band wasn’t as successful as they seemed back home. He wasn’t booking gigs as often and Rose ended up having to get a job as a waitress to help pay for a small flat that she shared with not only Jimmy, but his band and their girlfriends.

Being the youngest of them all, Rose was probably the most responsible. She was the only one who worried if bills got paid or if there was food in the house. Everyone else just partied, drank and lived a carefree life. Then came rumors of girls coming to see Jimmy while she was working, at first he denied it and sweet talked his way out of it then he started getting angry and violent. He told Rose he was tired of being accused of doing things that he wasn’t and threatened her to never bring it up again.

After that came insults, insults about her looks, the way she dressed and anything else he, or the others, could think of. Needless to say, Rose was miserable. She sat alone in her room and thought of how badly her life went. She left school, left home and worst of all she left her mum on her own. She wanted to go back but she was ashamed and didn’t think she would be welcomed back.

Then came the worst night of them all. She left work early and when she got home she found the rumors were true. There were several people crowding the flat when she walked in. She had to push through and step over people just to make it to her room. When she got there she found Jimmy with not one but two other women.

She finally had enough, ashamed or not, she was going home. She grabbed her bag and shoved a few of her things in there, she would leave everything else behind because it didn’t matter anymore. Jimmy grabbed her wrist and squeezed so hard she would have a bruise shaped like his hand for days. He told her she couldn’t leave, he needed her to keep working so they could keep the flat.

Rose pushed him off and told him to go to hell and ran to the door which he slammed shut before she could get out. He warned her again that she couldn’t leave and this time backhanded her across the face. Rose stumbled back, placing her hand on her cheek and felt the warm sting. He gave her orders not to leave the room then locked her in there.

Fortunately, Rose was smarter than Jimmy, far smarter. She left for work the next day with no intention of going there. She left everything behind and headed straight for the train station to go home, her real home. The train couldn’t leave fast enough, she worried that someone would find her and drag her back to that living hell.

She boarded the train and waited eagerly for its departure, checking out the windows to be extra sure that Jimmy wasn’t out there looking for her. At exactly 12:45 she felt the train begin its departure. She watched out the window as it pulled away and picked up speed. Finally, she was leaving this life behind and she couldn’t stop her tears from coming. Tears of happiness, tears of fear and tears of uncertainty.


	15. Home again

During the time Rose was gone, David came home after finishing his first year at Oxford. He didn’t hear much about Rose, that was because nobody knew where she was or what she was up to. He considered calling Jackie but he wasn’t sure if that would be appropriate. What would he say anyway?

After waking up his first morning home, he found Donna and his mum in the kitchen eating breakfast. He made himself a plate and sat at the table, not in the mood to talk.

“Did you sleep well?” Sylvia asked pleasantly.

David nodded while playing with the food on his plate.

“Any plans for today?”

David shook his head.

After a moment of silence Sylvia spoke up. “What’s gotten into you? You’ve been so quiet since you’ve been home.”

“Really?” Donna spoke at a high whisper. “He’s probably worried about Rose.”

David gave Donna an annoyed stare and went back to his food.

“Oh…Rose” Sylvia said, “I saw Jackie at the market a bit ago, she was so upset the poor thing.”

David looked up at Sylvia and looked away again.

“She knew that Jimmy was no good from the very start,” Sylvia continued. “but, I suppose a mother always knows. Like I did with Lance.”

“You adored him!” Donna snapped.

“Only because I was trying to support you and your choices.” Sylvia said.

“You never support me!” Donna snapped again.

“Can we please change the subject!” David yelled.

Donna and Sylvia looked at him, unspeaking. The silence annoyed him more than the talking. “Fine, I’m gonna go out for a while.” He stood up and carried his plate to the sink and walked out.

David stood outside the Powell Estate, his feet were frozen in place as he looked onward. He took a breath and stepped forward, then another and another, growing closer and closer to the building. His mind was flooded with memories of Rose. He walked upstairs, his feet dragging along as he tried to think of what to say.

He reached the door and paused a moment, reconsidering, then knocked before he changed his mind. Almost immediately Jackie was at the door. Her eyes looked red and tired, her hair was a mess and David could tell the worry was driving her mad. Jackie looked at him in shock, he was the last person she expected to see. She grabbed him into a hug and began to sob. The hug was unexpected, he didn’t know how to react at first but he welcomed it.

Jackie pulled back, “Rose isn’t here.” She said, wiping her eyes.

David nodded, “I know, I just wanted to see how you were doing?”

Jackie took a few steps back, “I’m worried, I’m upset, I don’t know where my daughter is and she is with a guy who is just…” Jackie got choked up, “he’s just awful.”

“Have you heard from her?” David asked.

Jackie shook her head, “not lately. Sometimes I don’t hear from her for several days, or weeks. Last time I talked to her was maybe two weeks ago. She said she is doing great but I can hear it in her voice, something’s wrong and she won’t tell me where she is” Jackie began to sob again.

David hugged her again, trying to comfort her the best he could. “Is there anything I can do?”

Jackie shook her head, “nothing more than anyone else has tried to do.”

“I can stick around for a while.” David gently smiled at her.

Jackie nodded, “that would be nice.”

David spent the rest of the afternoon with Jackie, just keeping her company and getting a break from his mum.

The remainder of David’s time home was miserable. He was reminded of Rose everywhere he went and everywhere he looked. He tried to talk to Rose’s friends like Amy and Mickey but they seemed upset with him, as if he were responsible for this. The only one who would talk to him was Rory but Amy put a stop to that as well. When it was time to go back to school he was somewhat relieved to be getting away from it all. There was nothing he could do anyway.

 

* * *

 

When Rose came home it was a rainy, Wednesday afternoon. A completely average day for anyone else but, for Jackie Tyler, it wasn’t. Rose showed up at the door after walking home in the rain, not caring about getting wet. With her hand frozen on the doorknob, her biggest fear was what Jackie would do to her when she saw her.

Rose took a deep breath and walked right in.  Jackie was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and drinking tea, alone. She glanced up from her mug when she saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. Rose was soaked, her hair was a mess and she was crying. Jackie dropped her mug and ran to her daughter. They hugged each other in a quiet embrace, breaking down and crying.

Jackie looked at her daughter and saw the difference in her eyes. She was older, not physically but emotionally. She had dark circles around her eyes and a bruise under her left one. Jackie traced her finger along the edge and Rose flinched.

“What happened?” Jackie asked.

“Doesn’t matter.” Rose answered. “All that matters is that I’m home and Jimmy is gone for good.”

Jackie hugged her again, she had so many questions but she will wait until Rose was ready to talk.

 

* * *

 

Six months passed. Rose was back working in the shop, she was surprised she got her job back but she had a good record before she left so they were willing to give her a second chance. She was also dating Mickey now, it had only been a month for them. She was happy being single for a change and after Jimmy she didn’t trust anyone.

Mickey was patient with her and settled with being her best friend until she was ready. He was good to her too. He complimented her, bought her gifts, and always tried to make her smile. Jackie loved him too so that was a bonus. The only problem was Rose didn’t love him, she loved him as a friend but romantically she just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe she was broken, she thought. All that time with Jimmy, maybe she wasn’t capable of loving someone. Or maybe she still loved David and refused to admit it to herself. She hasn’t seen him or heard from him in over a year. He must have moved on and forgotten about her by now.

Rose thought she saw David one time, during the Christmas holiday. He must have come home, where else would he be? She had just started back at the shop and needless to say it was crowded with last minute shoppers. She got that strange feeling that she was being watched and after her relationship with Jimmy, it was unnerving. Nervously, she spun her head around and saw a glimpse of what could have been David before he, or whoever it was, turned and disappeared into the crowd.

The holidays were over and the weather was getting warmer. Rose decided to do something she hasn’t done in ages. She told Mickey she had plans one night and she went out for a walk. She walked to David’s house, snuck around the back quietly and there she saw him. Not David but Wilf, up on the hill stargazing as he always did.

Wilf didn’t see her coming, he was staring up at the sky. “Did you find any aliens yet?” Rose announced once she was close enough.

Wilf was surprised, more than surprised, he tipped over on his tree stump. He hit the ground laughing as Rose ran over and helped him up. Wilf stood up, still laughing and hugged Rose. He then ran to his shed and grabbed a chair, putting it next to him and poured her some hot chocolate. “I didn’t expect to see you.” Wilf said happily. “What brings you by?”

Rose shrugged, “I don’t know. I just missed coming up here and listening to your stories.”

“Nobody likes to hear my ramblings,” Wilf joked.

“I do,” Rose said. She sat down in the chair he set for her and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

Wilf looked down at his hands, rubbing them together. “I heard you left.”

Rose breathed in deep, she knew everyone heard by now, but Wilf knowing too seemed the saddest. “Yeah, I was gone for a while. I’m not proud of it, hopefully I can put it all behind me.”

“You will,” Wilf assured her. “You’re smart, don’t let a lapse in judgement ruin your future.

“Thanks,” Rose told him, smiling.

Wilf looked into his telescope and made some adjustments. “David was here, a couple of times. I never told him about you visiting me, like I promised.”

“I appreciate that,” she told him. She looked at the sky, remembering her nights up on that hill. Not just with Wilf but with David.

“He asked about you, David did.” Wilf let out a long sigh, “he was worried about where you went.” He paused for a moment, “we all were.”

Rose felt a tear roll down her cheek, “I’m sorry.” She didn’t want to hurt Wilf, he was always so good to her and so nice, and thinking David was worried too just stirred up her emotions. “I’m here now, though. Why don’t you tell me about what’s been happening up there since I last saw you,” she pointed to the sky.

“Gladly,” Wilf said then started telling one of his stories.


	16. A not so average day

Another summer passed and Rose never saw David, she didn’t know if that was good or bad. Maybe he didn’t come home this time, she thought, or maybe he was just avoiding her. Whatever the reason, Rose thought it best to try and forget about him, no matter how hard it was.

Rose was back working in men’s clothing as before and was slowly making her way back up to her old position. She knew she still had a lot of fixing to do in her life, but right now she was just trying to be normal again. It was Saturday morning, any normal Saturday morning and Rose woke up to her alarm as always. She ate breakfast, kissed her mum goodbye, and ran off to work. It was a normal start to a normal day. What she didn’t know is her days would never be normal again, at least not for a very long time.

It started when she heard two men having a strange conversation near her workstation. They weren’t shopping, just using her department to hold a private conversation. Rose pretended to work while listening and heard them talking about a meeting, afterhours in the shop. She didn’t recognize them and why would they be meeting there?

Later she saw a suspicious, tall man in leather looking around. He wasn’t looking for clothes but seemed to be looking for something else, or someone else. She tried to help him, in hopes of finding out what was going on, but when he saw her approaching he quickly disappeared. Then the shop was closing, everyone was headed out and the men she saw earlier that day were nowhere in sight. Curiosity was getting the best of her and when an opportunity to run to the basement to drop off some money came, she took it.

The basement was dark and quieter than normal, nobody seemed to be down there. She walked around looking for Wilson, the chief electrician. He usually worked later than everyone, but she didn’t see him. She checked his office and it was locked, she knocked and there was no answer. She walked along, calling for him, but still nothing.

There was a lot of ground to cover, a lot of rooms and a lot of hallways, he could be anywhere. She rounded a corner and walked right into a large man. It wasn’t Wilson and it wasn’t anyone she has ever seen before. “Sorry,” Rose said, taking a few steps back. “I was looking for Wil-,” she looked around the man’s shoulder and saw Wilson, bloody, and tied to a chair in a room with several other men.

One of those men shut the door as two other men emerged beside her. Rose continued to walk backward, hoping to talk her way out of whatever she saw. “I guess you are busy, I’m just gonna go home, I’ll talk to Wilson later, yeah?”

Even more men appeared from different directions. Rose wondered why she didn’t see them before when she first entered the basement. She continued to back up, trying to think of an escape plan, until she backed into a wall. She froze in fear, she didn’t expect to see what she saw in that room and she was regretting her decision to stay behind and snoop. She found herself surrounded and was ready to face her demise when she felt a hand grasp hers tightly.

She was shocked at first and looked to the person who grabbed her hand finding it to be the man in leather she saw earlier that day. He looked her in the eyes and said one word, “run.” With no other options she obeyed and ran away with him, still holding his hand. They neared the elevator but before they reached it the man toppled over a pile of mannequins stacked against the wall, ripping the arm off one. They got into the elevator and he clubbed one of the men over the head with the mannequin arm.

The doors to the elevator shut, and it began bringing them up as they both caught their breath. “What the hell was that?” Rose yelled at the stranger.

The man shrugged, “goons, thugs, bad guys...whatever you want to call them.”

“But what are they doing here, in a shop?” Rose asked.

The man examined the mannequin arm in his hand, wondering why he was still holding it then turned to hand it to Rose. “I don’t know, secret operation. I haven’t really found out yet.”

The doors opened and they stepped out cautiously. “But, what do they want with Wilson? Shouldn’t we go back and help him?”

“I’m sorry, Wilson is probably dead by now.” He led her ahead of him toward an exit.

“Wait, dead? That’s not funny, what sort of joke is this?” Rose protested.

The man opened the door leading outside, “It’s not a joke, it’s very real.” He gently nudged Rose out the door. “Now go on home, never mind what’s going on here or you’ll get yourself killed.”

“What?” Rose questioned, still confused, but he slammed the door shut.

Rose waited for a second and the door flew open again.

“I’m John by the way, what’s your name?”

“Rose,” she answered nervously.

He smiled, “nice to meet you Rose, run for your life.” He slammed the door again. Rose ran to open the door, thinking this can’t be real, but the door was locked.

With nowhere else to go she decided to go home, at a jog just in case what he said was true. She didn’t get too far before she heard gunshots coming from within the building followed by an explosion.

 

* * *

 

Rose’s alarm went off the next morning and she turned it off, hoping it was all just a dream. She heard her mum yell from the other room, “no sense getting up sweetheart, you’ve got no job to go to.”

Rose rubbed her eyes and dragged herself out of bed, realizing it wasn’t a dream. When she got home the night before it was already on the news, Jackie was more scared than she was. Relieved that she was ok, Jackie started making phone calls to the whole town apparently. Mickey came over too, he seemed concerned, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get Rose to the pub to watch a match. She told him go on and told him that she was fine, so he left.

Now she was sitting at home, drinking coffee and wondering what her life has in store for her next since she has no job. She could get her A levels, that’s a start. Then there was the unmistakable noise of the cat flap on the door. Knowing her mum should have nailed it down Rose groaned, wondering what stray made its way inside this time. The flap moved again and Rose walked to the door and swung it open, looking for the animal that was trying to get in. Instead she saw John, the same man in leather from the night before. He leapt to his feet, “What are you doing here?” He asked looking genuinely confused.

“I live here.” Rose snapped.

“What’d you go and do that for?”

“Because I do.” Rose ‘s brows drew together in an annoyed fashion.

John peeked over her shoulder, “I was following my friend Jack’s cat. He got out and I thought I saw him go in here.” He smiled and shrugged it off, “oh, well, he’ll turn up.” He began to walk away before Rose grabbed him and dragged him back.

“No you don’t, wait, Jack? Do you mean Jack Harkness?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, do you know him?”

“Oh, I know him,” Rose said with a fake laugh.

John gave her a curious look.

“NOT like that,” Rose told him, turning red. “Not that he hasn’t tried. I didn’t know he had a cat.”

“Yeah, always needs companionship, he does.” John laughed.

“Right,” Rose wasn’t laughing. “Are you going to tell me what all that was about last night?”

“I’m not sure yet, I just knew it wasn’t good when I saw those two in your shop yesterday morning.” His voice was serious.

Rose furrowed her brows, “who are you?”

“I told you, John. John Smith.” He smiled.

Rose shook her head, “No, I mean what do you do?”

“I guess you can say I’m a freelancer,” He told her.

“But-,” Rose began and he put a finger on her lips to silence her.

“Listen, all I can say is move on and forget me. Goodbye Rose.” He then walked away, leaving Rose in the hall, more confused than ever.


	17. Who is John Smith?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little familiarity here but I tried not to make it word for word.

* * *

 

Rose wasn’t going to give up that easily. After seeing the things she saw, and meeting a man like John, she couldn’t just move on with her life and pretend nothing happened. She wanted answers and she was going to get them.

She started by visiting Jack’s flat, but he wasn’t home although she was fairly certain she heard him talking inside before she knocked. She checked the internet too, but John Smith was too common of a name and she wasn’t even sure what she was looking for besides that. She walked along town and asked a lot of questions, hoping someone saw John or knew who he was. All of her searching drew a lot of attention to herself.

She took a break and ate lunch at a café. She was in the middle of eating her sandwich when a stranger came and joined her at her table. He was older, probably around her mums age, had no hair and thick, dark, eyebrows. He was dressed in a grey suit and resembled one of the men she saw the night before.

“I hear you are looking for a man named John Smith.” The man said in a heavy tone.

Rose was nervous. “I-I was, maybe.”

“How do you know him? What’s your connection to him?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

Rose felt her throat tighten with fear, “I don’t know him, I never met him before yesterday.”

The man glanced at her for a moment, studying her body language. “You see, we had a job to do yesterday. All was well until you showed followed by Mr. Smith, after that everything we worked toward got destroyed. So tell me again, Rose Tyler, how do you know him?”

Rose thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head from shock, how did he know her name? “I told you, I never met him before. I was curious to see who he was because he popped in and out of my life so mysteriously.”

The man eyed Rose, “Look, I…” the man began to speak before John came along and plopped in a chair beside Rose.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said cheerfully. Rose glanced at him as if he were a ghost.

The strange man grinned sinisterly, “there you are. You’re a hard man to find, Mr. Smith.”

“Maybe you’re not looking hard enough,” John said, he was still smiling. Rose didn’t know how he could be so calm at a time like this.

“I was talking to your colleague here,” he glanced at Rose, “do you have any idea how many men we lost last night, not to mention money?”

“I have an idea, yeah” John told him.

“Yet you still sit there, smiling at me even though I have a gun on you.” That’s when Rose noticed the man had a hand under the table. She didn’t have to look to know he was hiding a gun. She looked at John and he didn’t even seem worried.

“Yes, I do, and do you know why?” John leaned forward, not breaking eye contact with the man. “because, unlike you, I didn’t come alone.”

Before the man could process what he said, Jack was behind him and he clubbed him over the head with a baton. The man fell face first into the table, out cold. People around them panicked so Rose hit the fire alarm to create a diversion. John grabbed her hand once again, pulling her behind him as they ran out the back door with Jack leading the way. Jack’s car was in the alley and they all climbed in quickly and Jack sped off.

John turned around in his seat and looked at Rose, “I told you to forget about me.”

“Well, you wouldn’t tell me who you really are.” Rose answered.

“Like I said, I’m John Smith, a freelancer.”

“What does that mean, freelancer?” Rose asked, she wasn’t enjoying the way he was talking to her.

“I’m my own boss, I travel around and if I happen to come across something fishy, I handle it.”

“For what,” Rose asked.

“I don’t know, fun I guess.” Rose heard Jack chuckle beside him. “Those men you saw last night, were part of a much bigger operation. I just happened to see them as I was popping by. I guess you could say I was in the right place at the right time.”

Rose’s mouth hung open, she wasn’t believing this. “So, what did Wilson have to do with all of this?”

“Who?” he asked.

“Wilson, the guy from last night. You told me he was dead.” Rose was getting upset again.

“Oh, him. He was part of it to, well trying to be. Didn’t you ever wonder why he was working late all the time?”

Rose shook her head, “he always does.”

“He was using your basement as a weapons trading post, an illegal one.”

“What?” Rose was definitely shocked. “How?”

“Weapons come from all around the world, any weapon you can think of. Wilson was the middle man. They delivered them to him, he stores them in the basement, then when someone comes around to buy them they contact him, he gives them what they want and he gets a cut of the money. Unfortunately for him, someone didn’t want to share.”

Rose glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing Jack’s eyes watching her. “So why did it blow up?”

“I had to destroy the weapons,” he answered.

“Oh,” Rose sunk back into her seat and looked out the window.

“Do you believe me?” He asked.

Rose looked into his eyes and he seemed genuine. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you got yourself involved now, so you better start.” He said.

Jack dropped them off a short distance away from the café. John hopped out and took off walking, Rose had to jog to catch up. “Where are we going?”

“There is a central hub, where the people in charge of all of this run their main operation.” He looked around for a clue.

“Then what are you going to do?” Rose looked around too, but had no idea what she was looking for.

“I’m going to stop them.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “This is a nano immobilizer, works almost like a stun gun with an extended result. Torchwood technology, don’t ask. We need to find where they are hiding out and get this inside. Once this button is pressed,” he pointed at a button on top of the box, everyone within the vicinity falls unconscious for at least 30 minutes. After that, Jack and the rest of his men will come in and take care of the rest.”

Rose stared at the small box in his hand, “so, how do you get that box inside?”

John grinned, “not me, you.”

Rose started to protest and he stopped her.

“If I go in there, they’ll kill me on site.” John put the box back in his pocket for the moment. “You just need to go in, tell them you have information on me and they will take you inside to talk. They need you alive if they want me.” He saw Rose was still unsure, “I warned you not to get involved.”

“No, it’s ok,” Rose smiled.

John grinned wider than before, “fantastic.” He then started searching the area.

“Again, what are we looking for?” Rose asked.

“Some kind of symbol, these organizations always have some kind of calling card to let others know where to find them. This group in particular uses an eye, a symbol meaning that they are watching over everything.”

“So we are looking for an eye?” Rose asked.

“Or something that resembles an eye, some kind of clue. It’s hiding in plain sight, almost invisible.” John leaned on a railing looking at Rose’s odd expression. “What?” he asked.

Rose looked over his shoulder, “Like The London Eye?”

John turned around and looked at the structure. He turned back to Rose, smiling wide, “fantastic.” He grabbed her hand and they ran to the structure.

“This would be a great place to hide, they’re probably underground. We just need to find a way in.” John peeked over a ledge.

Rose followed his action, “Over there,” and she pointed at a door leading underground.

John smiled at Rose, impressed at how quickly she was learning. “Yes, so here’s the plan. Give me your phone.” Rose handed it over, without questioning. John started pressing buttons and handed it back, “Now you have my number, I want you to go to that door and stomp on it with your foot. Someone will come and just tell them you have information on John Smith and you demand to speak to The Director.”

Rose raised an eyebrow, looking amused, “The Director?”

John shook his head, “that’s what he calls himself, never mind that. Once you’re inside and you meet The Director just keep him talking. Don’t give him any personal information. Then when you’re ready, you press the button,” John handed her the box. “They will all fall unconscious and when they do, call me.” He took her hand and wrapped a band around it, “this will keep you grounded, don’t take it off or else when you hit that button you’ll pass out too.” He finished fastening the band and he took her hand in both of his and looked her in the eyes, “do you understand?”

Rose nodded, “Knock on the door, ask for The Director, when I meet him I push the button then call you.”

“Good,” John said, smiling. He still had Rose’s hand, “you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” He was serious, he didn’t want to force her into something that made her uncomfortable.

“No,” Rose said, “I want to, I’ve been waiting for some excitement in my life anyway.” She smiled back at him for a moment, she trusted him and she didn’t know why she did or that she should. He just made her feel safe. “Let’s do this, yeah?”

Rose removed her hand from his and headed down the steps toward the door. John kneeled down behind a wall where he could get to her quickly if needed. Rose reached the door and looked around, no one was there and she wondered if she was being watched. She stomped on the door three times and like John said, someone lifted the door open.

It was another large man in a suit so Rose knew she was in the right place. Rose spoke confidently, “I’m looking to speak to The Director, I have information on John Smith.”

The man didn’t speak, he just examined her up and down. He bent down and started talking to someone below him in such a low tone she didn’t understand him. He stood back up and climbed out, holding the door open, he gestured for Rose to go in.

Rose climbed down the ladder into a dark room. It wasn’t very big down there but there were a lot of weapons and a lot of men. Three men escorted her down some steps and across the room toward a door. Along the way she saw Mickey, they had him tied up and she didn’t know why. He looked at her in shock and she shook her head hoping he kept his mouth shut.

The door opened and she entered the room, the door slammed shut behind her. Aside from the rest of the place, this room was nice. It was better lit, had furniture and artwork. In the center a man sat in a plush chair surrounded by other, larger men.

Rose expected him to be older but he didn’t seem much older than she was. He had short, black hair, tan skin, and green eyes. He didn’t wear a suit like the rest of his men. Instead he had tan slacks and a white dress shirt. He motioned for Rose to sit down but she chose to stand.

“They say you know where I can find John Smith.” He said, acting overly friendly.

Rose nodded and stepped a bit closer. “Are you The Director?”

He nodded, “but you can call me Michael. You’re very pretty, how do you know Mr. Smith?”

“I don’t, we just met,” Rose felt her heart rate rising and put her hands in her pockets. He action startled his men and they drew their guns. Before they could do anymore Rose grasped the box, hit the button and as John said, they all fell unconscious.

Rose looked around her, worried that they would wake up. Then she opened the door and peeked out, all the other men were unconscious too, including Mickey.

She pulled out her phone and called John’s number, he answered immediately. “Rose?”

“Yeah,” she said in a whisper, “it’s done.” She hung up and wanted to smack herself for using such a cliché phrase. Cliché or not, Jack and several others came storming in.

Jack approached Rose with his signature smile. “I’m impressed, if I would have known my gorgeous neighbor was capable of this, I would have hired you a long time ago.”

Rose blushed, she didn’t think she did anything extraordinary. John walked in next and Jack turned to him, “where’d you find this girl?”

John patted him on the shoulder as he walked by, “I didn’t, she sort of found me.” He walked up to Rose, “are you ok?” He took her hand and his gaze was soft as he examined her. Jack looked between the two and started walking away, feeling like a third wheel.

“Yeah,” Rose smiled, then her smile faded. She remembered Mickey, “Wait!” she yelled to Jack while pulling her hand from John’s. “My boyfriend, Mickey. They have him tied up out there. Why do they have him anyway?”

Jack looked at the unconscious Mickey still tied up on the floor. “You were drawing a lot of attention to yourself. Mickey just got caught up in the middle somehow.”

“Oh,” Rose said, then she looked nervous. “What about Mum? What if they go after her?”

Jack smiled at her, “As long as you are my neighbor, she will always be safe.”

Rose had a lot of mixed emotions and she was quickly growing tired, John could see it in her eyes, “how about I take you home. Jack’s people will take care of Mickey and you can see him in the morning.”

Rose looked at Mickey again, she wanted to stay with him but what could she do anyway? “Okay, promise me that he will be alright?”

“I promise,” John smiled and he led her out.

Jack drove Rose home. John sat in the back with her, he worried that she would be upset over everything that happened that day, but instead she was just quiet and stared out the window as they drove away. They didn’t get more than halfway home before exhaustion took its toll on Rose. Her eyes felt heavy and she ached for her bed. Feeling more comfortable with John, now that she knew him better, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

When they pulled up to the Powell Estate, John gently woke her up. Rose was tired and groggy as she got out of the car. Like a zombie she walked toward the building and climbed the stairs.

John followed close behind, “remember, there is nothing more to worry about, you’re safe.”

“I know,” Rose nodded lazily.

John stuck his hands in his pockets, “and if you need anything you know where to find me. Or Jack, Jack is there too.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Rose told him. She reached her door and started to walk in. She turned to both of them, “goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” they said in unison.

After she shut the door, John and Jack walked back to his flat. Jack looked at John, grinning.

John furrowed his brows, “what?”

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” Jack smirked.

“Stop it,” John grunted.


	18. A new start to a new life

The following morning, Rose woke and stretched her arms above her, seeing the band that John tied on her the day before. She smiled looking at it and remembered the strange, yet exciting day she had. She also wondered if it was odd that she didn’t find it very frightening, but rather exhilarating. Then she remembered Mickey, she grabbed her phone and called him right away.

“Yeah?” Mickey answered. Rose could tell by his voice that he just woke up.

“Mickey, are you ok?” Rose asked immediately.

“I was until you woke me,” he sounded grumpy. “what time is it?”

Rose looked at her clock, “seven.”

Mickey groaned, “call me in an hour,”

Before he hung up Rose stopped him. “Mickey, wait.”

“What,” he groaned.

Rose didn’t know what to say. She assumed he would have a lot to say but he didn’t, “when did you fall asleep?”

There was silence on his end, “I don’t know, I was playing video games and I lost track of time. Maybe midnight.”

“Oh?” she paused, “I’ll talk to you later,” and hung up. She had a lot of questions and she knew who would have the answers. She looked through her phone and found John’s number. It barely rang once when he answered in a very cheerful voice. “Hello, sleep well?” It almost seemed like he was waiting for her call.

“Yeah, I did. Now, can you tell me what you did to Mickey?” She asked sternly.

“Who?”

“Mickey, my boyfriend. He got knocked out last night with all the other men.”

“Oh, him. What’s wrong with him?”

“How about the fact that he can’t remember anything from yesterday,” Rose snapped.

“Oh that,” he didn’t sound surprised, “they wiped his memory, just for one day. No harm, they just can’t have him running around spilling secrets.”

“You can do that?” She sounded offended, “Just take away a day of someone’s life without asking.”

John tried to defend himself, “hey, not me, that was Jack’s men who did that. They only do it in extreme cases. They must not have trusted him.”

“And they think he won’t notice?” Rose yelled.

“Not really,” John said, “think of those days when you think all day that it’s Tuesday but it’s really Wednesday. It will be like that for him.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Nope, but he might be very thirsty today. Don’t ask me why.”

“Are they going to do it to me?”

“If they were, they would have done it already. It’s best to do it immediately after, if not, there could be complications.”

Rose went silent, this was all too confusing and it was still too early in the morning. After a moment John spoke up, “any more questions?”

“Am I going to see you again?” she asked.

“Do you want to?” His voice sounded amused.

“Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Then I guess we will see,” with that, he hung up.

Rose tossed her phone on her bed and fell back. She looked up at her ceiling and thought through the series of events that led up to this moment. She has seen and done so much these last two years and she was only twenty years old, but she felt twice as old emotionally.

She didn’t have anywhere to be that day, but she didn’t want to stay in bed all day either. She suddenly had an urge to do something more with her life. She got up, showered, changed, and left her flat. She didn’t know where she was going but she figured she would find it, whatever “IT” was.

* * *

 

She wandered around town and made her way back to The London Eye. She leaned over the ledge where she and John stood the night before and she watched people walk by. The people were happy and carefree. Rose realized that none of those people had any idea what happened there just hours before.

“They’re all gone, if that’s what you were wondering.” John said from behind her, catching her by surprise. He walked up next to her and leaned over the same ledge she was. “Jack’s men work quickly, they probably had that place cleaned up within an hour.”

Rose continued to look down, “and nobody knows?”

“Nope,” John looked down too, “Now it’s just a boring old engine room, nothing more.”

Rose nodded but didn’t speak, she didn’t really know what to say.

John studied her expression for a minute, “I’m going to be leaving soon. I’m not one to sit in one spot too long. Always running, me.”

Rose looked over at him, she didn’t want him to leave so soon, she wanted to see more.

John rubbed his hands together nervously then cursed himself under his breath for being nervous. “I just have a few loose ends to tie up, then I’m gone. Unless…” He paused and Rose was staring at him anxiously, making him even more nervous, “you can come with me.”

Rose looked away, she wasn’t sure what he was offering but it seemed intriguing. “To where, where are you going?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “I rarely make plans, I just go.”

“And what do you do?”

“Whatever I want I suppose. I always seem to find something. Never a dull moment with me.” He smiled happily.

“Why me? What would I be doing?” She didn’t want to get sucked into another Jimmy situation but she already seemed to know that John was different.

“Well, after yesterday I saw what you could do. Not only are you smart but you are brave, most people would have run the other way if they were in your situation. I could use a protégé, so to speak.”

“A protégé,” Rose said in a questioning tone. “But, I don’t have any money, how would I be able to travel?”

“Don’t worry about money, all expenses are covered.” John turned around and sat up on the ledge he was once leaning on.

Rose looked at the ground below them again, “Is it always this dangerous?”

John nodded happily, “yeah.” The question excited him and in turn it got Rose excited.

There was another question on Rose’s mind, one she was afraid to ask but it was important that she did. “So, you want to take me with you to travel, anywhere in the world and all expenses are paid? What will I owe you, for paying for all of this?”

John made a disgusted face, “nothing inappropriate I assure you, you’re just a kid. I just need a companion so to speak, someone to talk to and keep me company so I’m not rambling to myself.”

Rose laughed at him, “Ok, but the biggest obstacle will be to convince mum.”

 

* * *

 

“You want to do what?!!” John and Jack heard Jackie scream from outside the door.

“Mum, you don’t understand. I can see the world, not just London, and I can experience new things.” Rose was practically begging.

“That’s what you said with Jimmy and look where that landed you.” Jackie knew her words were harsh but she was scared for her daughter.

“He’s not like that, I promise.” Rose told her in a calm voice, “you can ask Jack, he’s known him for years and has worked with him. John is a decent man.”

“And what does he do? What does he want you to do? Does he just run around, picking up young girls, promising to show them the world?” Jackie’s voice was rising again. John and Jack could still hear her and Jack found it amusing.

“Mum, it’s not like that, I swear. He travels around and finds people who need help and he helps them, that’s all.”

Jackie looked at Rose and could see in her eyes that she was telling the truth but she didn’t want to let her go, not after that horrible year with Jimmy.

Rose put her hands on Jackie’s shoulders and looked into her eyes, “you will always know where I am, I will call you and if I don’t you can tell Jack, he will know where I am.”

“I guess I can’t really stop you, you’re old enough to make your own decisions. Just promise me that if he does anything to you, you will come home immediately.”

Rose smiled at her, “I promise.” She hugged her mom and Jackie hugged her tighter.

 Rose grabbed the small bag she packed and her passport, he told her not to bring too much. Then she stepped out of her front door and saw John and Jack waiting for her. Jackie stood in the doorway, eyeing the man who was taking her daughter away from her. He looked nearly twice her age but he didn’t give off a bad vibe like Jimmy did.

“You better not let anything happen to her.” Jackie pointed at him, “and you better bring her home from time to time to see me.”

“You have my word,” John told her.

Jackie still wasn’t happy but she was somewhat content.

“Let’s be off then,” John said while walking away. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Jack wasn’t going with them, he just wanted to be there to say goodbye.

Rose gave Jackie one last hug goodbye then ran to catch up to him. “So, where are we going?”

“Where do you want to go? Anywhere in the entire world, it’s your choice.” John looked down to her, eager to see what she will pick.

Rose took a second to think. Anywhere in the world but she didn’t want to seem greedy. So she picked something simple. “Norway.”

“Ah, Norway,” John said happily, “beautiful country, lots of mountains and skiing. It’s not very far though, a bit boring, don’t you think?”

“Ok then,” Rose said happily. She continued to think but she still wasn’t sure what would be pushing it. So she picked something a little further. “Greece.”

John nodded but his face looked confused, “Greece is a great country too but, why don’t we go further?”

“Fine by me,” Rose said to him, “what do you have in mind?”

John looked ahead and he started to think. Getting closer into town he spotted a bookstore ahead of them. Instinctively, he grabbed Rose’s hand and brought her inside. John peeked around until he saw what he was looking for. They walked across the shop and he grabbed a globe off the shelf, setting it in front of them. “This is what I do when I’m not sure.” He spun the globe and closed his eyes, he paused for a moment then he placed his finger on the globe, putting it to a stop. He opened his eyes to see where it landed and he grinned from ear to ear. He looked up at Rose and said, “fantastic.”

 

* * *

 

David was in his third year at Oxford. He was doing his work independently now, since Martha stopped working with him. She felt that being with him was a waste on her part and he didn’t argue with her, he just let her leave. He preferred being alone for a change, he needed to get his life in order without being distracted.

Matt was still his roommate, however, they now shared a flat just outside campus. It was a little bigger and they had a little more privacy too, which they enjoyed from time to time. Overall, everything was going well for David, as far as school went. Aside from school, he still had Rose in his heart and was having a hard time letting go. It wasn’t easy when he could hear Matt talking to Amy and her name would come up. He heard she was dating Mickey and told himself, “of course she is,” while cursing Mickey. He just wished he was able to move forward as easily as Rose.

He got home one afternoon after school and Matt was cooking while talking on the phone, again. He heard him talking about Rory and knew instantly that he was talking to Amy. David groaned to himself, he didn’t want to hear about Rose again. He decided to head to the bedroom, where he would play music to drown out the conversation.

He reached his doorway when he heard Matt say, “she’s gone again? What do you mean Jackie doesn’t know where to?” David closed his eyes tightly and squeezed his fists out of frustration. He couldn’t ignore it now, he needed to know. He walked back to the kitchen and he didn’t hear much from Matt’s end so he sat down and waited.

Matt saw him watching and knew why so he cut the call short and hung up. Knowing what David wanted he began, “well, Rose took off with a man who is a bit older than her.”

David quirked an eyebrow, “what? How much older? Where?”

“According to Jackie, he seemed to be forty…ish, maybe younger.”

“Forty?” David yelled in shock.

“She doesn’t know exactly where she went, apparently he travels the world and invited Rose to come with him. She said it’s not a relationship, it’s….business.” Matt went back to his cooking.

“Business?” David stood up and followed him to the kitchen, “So some strange man offers to show her the world and she just left?”

“I don’t know,” Matt whined, “I’m just telling you what Amy told me.”

David walked back to his room. It was days like this he wished he were home so he could do something. He sat on his bed in disbelief. Could Rose, his Rose, really be running off with a man twice her age?


	19. Los Angeles

Rose waited eagerly within the airport. They were already checked in and now they sat in the terminal, waiting to board the plane. She was tapping her foot nervously and she had plenty to be nervous about. This was her first time flying, anywhere, and she was going far away from home, further than she had ever been before. Not mention, that she will be doing this with a man who is still practically a stranger to her and she had no idea what was in store for her once they got there.

She glanced at her plane ticket for the hundredth time, as if it changed. Their flight was leaving at four and they were flying to Los Angeles, California. Not only a different country, she was going to be on a completely different continent. Aside from her nervousness, Rose also felt a pang of guilt knowing that John had them flying first class. Hopefully, he wasn't spending too much money on her, just to make her feel comfortable.

When their flight was called, they boarded the plane, and found their seats. They were spacious and comfortable, she even had her own little TV to watch. “This isn’t so bad,” she told John happily. She fastened her seatbelt and checked around her. She wasn’t so nervous anymore, she was ready to go and couldn’t wait.

* * *

 

Seven hours into the flight, Rose was thankful for those seats. She stood up and stretched, looking behind her as she did. She saw rows and rows of people crammed into seats half the size of hers and most had no sense of personal space. Many of the people were trying to sleep since it was the middle of the night, but there were also crying babies keeping others awake. Needless to say, they looked miserable.

She sat back down and reclined back, knowing that she should try to nap, if only for a little while. She looked at John sitting next to her, he was sleeping peacefully. She was fascinated by him and how he was able to change her life in just 24 hours. She was curious as to how he knew the things that he did, and how to handle difficult situations, like the one they had two days before. How is he able to stay so calm under pressure? Most of all, she wondered, why her? He was a fairly decent looking guy, surely he could find someone to travel with him, someone more his age.

Those questions raced through her mind as she watched him. John didn’t move, but one eye cracked open as he peeked at Rose, then he closed it again. Startled, Rose readjusted herself and faced forward. He probably thinks I’m a weirdo, she told herself.

“Is there a problem?” John asked quietly.

“No,” Rose said quickly. “Sorry, I thought you were sleeping, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“I was,” his eyes were still closed as he spoke. “I just felt like I was being watched.”

“And that woke you up?” Rose asked curiously.

“Just instincts, I guess.” He sighed deeply, “you should try and sleep, you’re going to be tired when you get there.”

“I tried, but I’m too excited,” Rose whispered, “I’ve never been this far from home before.”

John smiled then opened his eyes to look at her, “alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Rose smiled back, “fine, I’ll try again.” She closed her eyes and got comfortable, within moments she was sound asleep.

 

* * *

 

The plane landed in the early evening so she got an overhead view of the city all lit up while they descended. John sat back and watched Rose look out her window in amazement. He rarely traveled with anybody and those he did, were seasoned travelers. He rarely got to see someone’s first experience and watching Rose was fascinating.

After getting their luggage and leaving the airport, Rose followed John outside. Rose looked down and realized that her feet were standing on new ground, far away from home, and the thought was surreal.

John hailed a cab and they got in. While John told the driver where they were going, Rose looked at all the other cars around them. She forgot that they drove on the opposite side of the road and it seemed so bizarre to her. After getting further away from the airport, Rose discovered that the cars weren’t the only things that looked different, everything was different. The shops were different, the restaurants were different and the people were different. It was a good different and Rose wanted to see it all.

The cab pulled up to a very nice, and very tall, hotel. A man came up and opened the door for them  while another got their bags and walked them inside. Once inside, John approached the desk and began checking them in. Rose felt a tightening in her stomach, she never considered their sleeping arrangements. Was he planning on them sharing a room, or a bed? The hotel looked expensive and she didn’t expect him to get two rooms either.

The woman at the counter finished and handed him a key, just one key. Rose took a nervous breath, that answers that question. They approached the elevator, followed by the man who had their bags, and stepped in. John hit the button for the top floor and they all waited as the elevator rose to the top. John turned to Rose, “not as exciting as our last elevator ride, is it?”

Rose smiled at him while the man with the bags behind them snickered. John glanced behind him, “down boy, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Sorry,” he said, embarrassed.

Rose blushed knowing what the man was thinking. If he only knew what really happened...

They reached their floor and John unlocked the door, letting Rose enter first. He waited outside for a moment until he heard her gasp. He laughed under his breath and followed her inside. He continued watching her as she explored the room.

This was not what Rose was expecting. She's stayed in hotels before, but not like this, this was more like a flat. There was a sitting area with a large television, a separate dining area and two separate bedrooms containing their own en suites. As impressive as the room was, the view was even more amazing. There was a window that ran from wall to wall through the suite. A set of doors opened to a patio and Rose stepped out. She peered over the rail at the city before her and it was breathtaking. She could see for miles, it was all lit up, and people below her were bustling around.

John tipped the man who carried their bags and let him out, then he walked back outside and stood beside Rose to take in the view she was admiring. “What do you think?”

“It’s amazing, I had no idea this is where we would be staying. It’s so…posh.” She looked back at him, noticing that he moved himself to the wall and leaned against it, crossing his arms. She could tell he was enjoying watching her experience everything for the first time.

“Don’t get too use to it, I just wanted your first trip to be somewhat special.” He told her, “I have connections all over, so I usually stay where I can for free.”

“I hope you didn’t overdo it.” Rose said, she didn’t want him to think she was taking advantage of his generosity.

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” John said shaking his head. “Money isn’t a problem, but living like this everywhere, every day, would probably catch up to me.”

“Well, thank you. I love it.” She looked back down, everyone looked so tiny.

“Are you hungry? I usually am after a long flight. We can walk around and I’m sure we’ll find something you'd like.”

“Yeah, I am pretty hungry now that you mention it,” she said.

They left the room and went down to the ground floor. They walked out the front entrance and once outside, Rose looked back and forth. There were so many places to look at, she didn’t know which way to go. She looked at John and he could see she was overwhelmed so he reached out, took her hand, picked a direction, and they started walking.

Rose followed his lead, she figured he’s been doing this for years so he wouldn’t get lost. She looked down at their joined hands and she couldn't remember the last time she held hands with anybody, besides David, and that was ages ago. Mickey never tried and Jimmy was not the type to show any kind of affection. It didn't feel wrong either, holding John's hand. She actually felt safer holding his hand now that she was in a strange city.

“Anything catch your eye?” he asked.

Rose looked around at all the different places to eat. There were a lot of pizza and burger places. Also, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Ethiopian and anything else she could think of. So many choices, she didn’t know what to pick. Then her eyes landed on a place with a glowing sign that said fish-n-chips and nothing more.

John looked to where she was pointing and chuckled, “you fly nearly halfway around the world and you choose that?”

Rose blushed and smiled, “I like chips, shoot me.”

“I can’t argue with that.” John walked her across the street and escorted her in.

* * *

 

Rose took her first bite, it wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t great either. Of course she was starving so anything would taste good at this point. She looked up at John as he ate silently. “So,” Rose began, “what kind of adventure are we going to have here?”

John took a drink and swallowed down his food, “no adventures, but I usually don’t go looking for them, either, unless I'm requested. I know a few people here and there is a charity auction tomorrow night for the earth or whales or something else. Most of the time nobody knows, but it’s one of those things people do around here for an excuse to have a fancy party.

“Like a formal event?” Rose asked, “I didn’t pack a dress.”

John shook his head, “don’t worry about it. There are plenty of rental places with formal dresses, I’ll take you out tomorrow.”

“Won’t that be expensive?”  Rose asked.

“I told you not to worry,” John told her seriously. “Everything is paid for.”

Rose went back to eating, but she couldn’t help but wonder where all his money was coming from.


	20. The auction

Rose nearly forgot where she was when she woke up the next morning. Checking the time, she saw that it was only 7 am. He never said what time she should be up so she decided to hurry, get dressed, and see if John was awake.

When she walked out of her room she saw John sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, and watching the news. Instead of his usual jeans and leather, he was dressed in only shorts and a t-shirt. It was odd seeing him so relaxed. She also couldn’t help but notice that he was more fit than he looked under all those layers. He looked up from his cup of coffee and seemed surprised to see her. “You’re up earlier than I expected. Usually jet lag keeps people in bed longer.”

“Then why are you up?” She asked.

“I’m used to it, plus I’m an early riser and I try to fit in a run every now and then.”

“Oh, are you leaving now?” Rose asked.

“Nah, I already went.” He put his mug down and grabbed a menu from the table. He walked up to Rose and handed it to her. “I’m going to take a shower, order yourself some breakfast,” then he walked past her and into his room.

 

* * *

 

After he showered and Rose ate her breakfast he took her out for the day. He chose a hotel at the center of everything so it was easy to walk to wherever they wanted to go. Rose knew her main priority was to get a dress for the evening, but he was also taking her sightseeing along the way. He showed her landmarks and told her some history of the area, impressing her by how much her knew. He also had a great sense of humor that she didn’t notice before. She was beginning to feel more comfortable around him as she got to know him.

He took her to a rental shop and apparently he knew the owner so Rose got star treatment while she was there. John didn’t stick around for that, he told her it wasn’t his thing. So, Rose browsed through all the dresses and told the sales women that she needed something formal. She ended up trying on at least twenty dresses and twice as many shoes that afternoon.

In the end, she chose a long, red, evening gown with an off the shoulder neckline and silver heels. The women even helped her with diamond jewelry to accent the dress. Rose tried to stop them, she didn’t want to spend that much but they assured her that all expenses were already covered. When she finished, they told her it would all be delivered to the hotel. She thanked them and saw John was back and waiting for her.

He said they needed to be ready by six so they walked back, then Rose realized something. He told her to pack light so she didn’t think to pack her hair curler, hairspray, makeup or anything else, she didn’t think she would need it. She told him this so he surprised her once again by making a phone call when they got back to the hotel and within half an hour a beautician was there to help Rose with whatever she needed.

The woman curled, styled, and pinned her hair up then she applied her makeup to accent her dress. By the time she was done Rose barely recognized the woman staring back at her. She stood in front of a long mirror admiring herself as the woman helped her with her jewelry. “He sure went all out,” she told Rose as she put on her necklace. “Is he your fiancé? Boyfriend?”

Rose laughed and shook her head, “nah, my mum would kill me. I guess you can say we are colleagues or something. Nothing romantic.”

“Well, when he sees you in this dress he might change his mind,” the woman joked with a hint of seriousness in her voice. She made some last-minute adjustments and she was on her way.

Still, Rose stood in front of the mirror, thinking about what the woman just said. Now she was nervous, she didn’t want him to think of her that way. He was older, smarter and she didn’t want anything to come between them that would force her to leave. She wanted to see so much more and learn more too.

John knocked on her door and called, “Rose, are you almost done? The car is downstairs.”

“Car?” Rose said to herself in surprise, “he got a car too?” What if this wasn’t just professional, what if he was working toward something and he would use all of this against her later?”

After several minutes John knocked again, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” She gave herself one last look then hoped what she was thinking wasn’t true. She walked to the door and opened it nervously and quietly stepped out.

John had his back to her as he looked out the window, his hands in his tux pockets. She cleared her throat and he turned around. A huge smile spread across his face, “Rose, you look beautiful.” He checked himself, “considering…”

Rose’s grin faded, “considering what?” she said offended.

“Well, you’re so young. It would be inappropriate for me to.…” he blushed and didn’t finish his sentence, he just walked to the door and held it open for her.

“I guess that’s a compliment,” she mumbled to herself. At least her worries were at ease after that.

On the elevator ride down he stood stiff, arms crossed, and watched the numbers above him count down. Rose stood next to him nervously, she wasn’t sure if she should say anything.

“You look good too.” She said lowly.

They reached the ground floor and the doors opened. “Thank you,” he told her then held out his elbow for her to take.

 

* * *

 

Their ride to the event was short, but the car they rode in was exquisite. It was a black sedan with leather seats and dark windows. They pulled up and just like at the hotel, someone came, opened her car door, and helped her out. John stepped out behind her and offered his arm again as he led her inside. There were photographers everywhere, snapping photos of everything and everyone.

Rose looked at John, “is this really that big a deal?” Then her question was answered when she walked into the large hall packed with people and several of them she knew. Not personally, but she knew of them from films and magazines. Actors, actresses, athletes and models roamed the floor, mingling with each other.

Rose’s mouth hung open for a moment then she leaned closer to John’s ear. “There are celebrities here.”

John grinned down at her, “yep, is that a problem?”

“No,” Rose said, trying to act casual, “how did you get invited?”

John shrugged, “I know a guy.”

“Oh, ok.” Rose said nodding. Apparently, he knows a guy everywhere. “So, what do people do at these things?”

“I don’t know, eat, dance, mingle…normal stuff.” He walked up to the bar and took a glass of wine. Rose was about to and he stopped her, “Twenty-one remember? We’re in America now.”

Rose really felt like a child now, she instead grabbed a water and followed John through the room. There was an adjacent room where several people stood. Several items were displayed in locked, glass boxes.

“These are the auction items,” John told her. “People can get a closer look at everything then they can decide ahead of time on what they will want to bid on later. Each box has a code to open it, once the item is paid for, the winner is sent the code to open it and retrieve their prize, very high security.”

Rose walked over to one case holding a very expensive looking diamond necklace, a card next to it read it is valued at $38,000. The next box held a brochure for a luxury vacation in Maui valued at $25,000. The biggest item was for a yacht, it wasn’t there of course, but the keys and papers were. A book with all the details sat in front of the case. That one cost $650,000. Looking down the line, nothing was small, they were all very expensive items.

She walked back to John, “are you planning on bidding on any of these?” she asked curiously.

“Why, did you want something?” he asked.

“No,” Rose answered, hoping he was joking.

They walked back to the main hall, Rose still holding his arm because she was afraid of losing him. He continued to show her around and they introduced themselves to different people, famous or not. Overall, it was an amazing evening. Shortly before the auction started, Rose and John were mingling with a man who owns some oil company when a woman’s voice caught their attention.

“Hello sweetie,” she said from behind them.

John tensed and Rose could tell by his face that this was someone he was not expecting to see. He spun around, “hello, River. What brings you here?”

She smiled, “same as you, nosing around for trouble.”

“I’m not looking for trouble, I just wanted to show Rose here a good time.” He pointed at Rose quickly, “This is her first time traveling….anywhere.”

“Ah,” River said smiling at Rose.

She held her hand out to Rose and greeted her, “be careful with that one,” she told her with a wink while pointing a thumb at John. 

Rose didn’t get to ask her what she meant as River immediately turned to John to start talking again. “Did you see what this auction is for?”

John shrugged, “I was just told it was for charity.”

River laughed lightly, “you are so naive.” She reached in her bag and pulled out her invitation, “look at the name of the organization.”

John glanced at it, “Department of Endangered Life and Threatened Animals.” He looked at Rose, I told you it was some kind of animal. He went to hand it back.

“Check it again,” she told him. He looked back at it and didn’t see anything unusual. River rolled her eyes at him, he was so thick. “What do the first letters spell?”

John looked at it a third time then looked back at River. His expression told Rose that something was wrong. “DELTA,” he whispered, “You think Cassandra is behind this?”

River took the paper back, “Possibly, how else can she pay to be a walking Barbie doll?”

“Who’s Cassandra?” Rose asked the two of them, she didn’t want to be excluded.

River looked at her, obviously forgetting she was there for a moment, “Cassandra is the head of an organization referred to as DELTA17. The 17 stands for the 17 sub-organizations around the world. They are usually behind a lot of fraud and money scandals.”

“She wouldn’t leave an obvious clue like that, would she?” Rose asked.

“I told you, they always leave a clue somewhere.” John said.

There was an announcement that the auction was beginning and everyone headed to the main hall. Rose, John and River stayed behind. Once the crowed cleared they went back to the room where the boxes were.

John walked around the room examining everything. “Do you think she plans to steal something here?”

River shook her head, “no, that’s too simple. If it’s Cassandra, it’s something bigger.”

Rose walked back to the necklace and examined it closely. She took off her own necklace with far fewer diamonds and laid it on top of the box, comparing the two.

John came up next to her, “If you’re thinking of swapping them out, I think they’ll notice,” he joked.

“No,” Rose said shaking her head. “When I was a kid, my mum dragged me into a lot of jewelry stores and I would love to see the diamonds and how they sparkled. Mum said it was the lighting and how it reflected made the diamonds look prettier or something like that.”

“Yeah?” John asked, annoyed. He didn’t want Rose getting homesick on him now.

“Can you see the difference? Between my necklace and the one in the box?” She asked.

River came to her other side, intrigued, “she’s right, they don’t reflect the same way.”

“So, you think they’re fake?” He asked.

“Possibly, but we can’t tell for sure unless we can see them closer. What about the other items?” River glanced down the row of boxes.

Everything else was either in an envelope or wrapped up. “Nope,” John said, “We need to get inside one of these boxes.”

A man in a tux with a white jacket entered the room to address them, “the auction has started, would you please join everyone in the main hall.”

“Who has the codes to these boxes? Where do they come from?” John asked immediately.

The man looked at them suspiciously, “I can assure you they aren’t here, the only way to get the code is to bid on the item and if you win it, it will be sent to you electronically, after payment of course. Now, please, you’re missing the auction.”

“You don’t understand,” John pleaded, “Something is not right, we need you to open one of those right now, before a lot of people lose a lot of money.”

The man eyed them up and down, “I can’t do that, now if you don’t leave now I’m going to have to call security to handle this.”

John looked at River and she nodded. Before Rose could see what happened the man fell unconscious.

“What did you do?” Rose asked.

“Same thing you did back in London, I just have this to stun them.” He held up what looked like a pen for her to see, then put it in his coat pocket. He lifted the man by his arms and dragged him away from view.

While he was doing that, River had already attached a small device to the lock on the box with the necklace. She pulled out what looked like a compact mirror but it was actually a small computer. She was typing several numbers, trying to hack it. “There’s an alarm, this might take a while to deactivate.”

Rose stepped back and watched the two, wondering what she got herself into.

John peeked out to see if anyone was coming and whispered to River, “do you have it yet?”

“No,” She whispered back, “I need three minutes.”

John looked again, everyone was in the main hall and it was clear for now. That is until a man, probably in his early twenties walked from the hall and toward the room. John whispered back to River, “how about now?”

“Almost, two minutes max.” she whispered back again.

“Well, we don’t have two minutes. Someone is coming.” He told her sternly.

River gave him an annoyed look, “you tell that to my hacker,” and held the small device up to him.

Rose glanced over John’s shoulder and saw the man, he looked around her age, well dressed and good looking. She whispered to John, “I’ll slow him down.”

Before John could protest she was gone. He watched nervously as Rose walked toward him. She pretended to drop her bag with an over-exaggerated, “oops.” John rolled his eyes at her action but it worked. The man picked up her bag like a gentleman and initiated a conversation.

River asked John what was happening and he explained, still watching the two curiously. She was supposed to slow him down, now they are talking and laughing. What’s so funny anyway?

“Oooh, he’s handsome,” he heard River say over his shoulder. He looked at her surprised and she held up the necklace with a proud smile. “It’s a good fake, I must say. I didn’t even notice that myself.”

John took the necklace, examined it, and verified that it was indeed, fake.

River looked out at Rose feeling proud of the young girl for figuring it out. “She’s impressive. Who does she work for?”

“No one,” John said. He peeked back out and saw her talking, still, and the man was standing much closer to her than before. Why did that bother him?

“So, she works solo like you and me?” River asked.

“Not exactly,” John said, “I sorta invited her to come with me.”

“Oh,” River said amused, “your own little companion. I thought you liked to work alone?”

“I do, I just met her by accident. She helped Jack and I take down a full weapons facility run by The Administrator.” He said proudly.

“Very impressive,” River said seeing John looking a bit annoyed. “She’s a bit young for you don’t you think?”

John glared at her, “This is strictly professional, she and I. Come on now, we are wasting time.”

John hurried out of the room toward Rose. “Time to go,” he said and pulled her away leaving the man behind, speechless.

They entered the hall and John spotted Cassandra herself. “Brave of her to come out in public.” He said to River.

He ran up to the stage and grabbed the mic from the auctioneer. “Good evening everyone,” he said with an authoritative voice. “I’m from the Treasury Department of the Powell Estate.” Rose smirked at the name he made up and he winked back at her. “We have reason to believe that there is someone trying to sabotage this auction.”

Cassandra stood in protest, “This is absurd, I’ll have you know this auction is hosted by a very respectable charity.”

“Is it?” John asked her, “because I did a little research and there is no record of a Department of Endangered Life and Threatened Animals.”

Cassandra looked stunned, “They aren’t widely known yet, this auction is to help them get started.”

John smirked, “you just said it’s a highly-respected charity and now it’s new?”

Cassandra began to stammer, “there must be some kind of misunderstanding.”

John held up the necklace, “Like this? We opened one of your boxes and got a closer look. This is a fake, a very good fake, but not worth $38,000.”

“It’s probably the jeweler,” Cassandra said sounding appalled, “He must have swapped it out when he put it in there.”

“Oh,” John pretended to be surprised, “so when the winner of this auction wires the money to the bank, the bank unlocks the case, where is this bank at? My associate, Dr. Song, was able to track the signal and where did it come from, Dr. Song?” He looked at River.

“The Cayman Islands,” River called over to him.

“The Cayman Islands. You know what else is located in The Cayman Islands? The DELTA Corporation Headquarters run by a Lady Cassandra O’brian. You’re a wanted criminal, Cassandra.” He was smiling at her knowing she was getting worried now.

Cassandra wasn’t backing down yet, “This is an outrage, I’m not going to sit here and be insulted.”

By that time several agents had arrived, catching Cassandra by surprise. John hopped off stage and let them take over.

Rose stood at the back of the room looking impressed, she did not expect her night to turn out like this, but she was so glad it did. John amazed her once again, he only needed a few clues and he was able to piece it together instantly. He was fascinating and Rose was starting to see something about him that she refused to admit to herself.

John and River met up with Rose near the exit and River said her goodbyes. “Well, Rose, its been fun but its time I made my exit.” She glanced at John and back to Rose, “If you ever want to learn from an expert, call me.” She handed Rose a small card with her contact information then walked off and disappeared into the crowd. Her exit as mysterious as her entrance.

“Ready to head back for the night?” John asked.

“Definitely, I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.” She smiled with her tongue in tooth grin which John had never seen before but he realized he would like to again. Their car pulled up and John helped Rose in. John was more quiet than usual on the ride back, his mind preoccupied with something. Rose took his hand to get his attention, “I had an amazing time tonight, thank you.”

John smiled and nodded, wordlessly. He had to remind himself of their age difference once again because he was beginning to forget.


	21. Moving on

The following morning, they had to pack up and leave. It was bittersweet for Rose, she never got to live it up like that before and John definitely made it memorable, but she was also ready to move on and see new things. She picked up her bag and looked around the room one last time before stepping out into the hall.

“My life isn’t always that glamorous,” John reminded her as they stepped into the elevator, “most of the time I just stay with others, or somewhere cheap. But, maybe in the future we can come back here, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Rose told him. “So, where are we headed now?”

“Not far,” John said, acting casual.

“What’s not far?”

“Hawaii,” he said.

“What?” Rose screamed in excitement and John couldn’t stop himself from feeling a little excited as well.

“How long does it take to get to Hawaii from here?” Rose asked remembering her nearly day long flight from London.

Still smiling from before, he told her, “We’re not flying, we are taking a cruise ship.” At those words Rose let out a delighted yell and she jumped into his arms, hugging him. He wasn’t a hugger, at least he thought he wasn’t, but now he realized hugs were good and he squeezed her back. They reached the ground floor and the doors opened, John reluctantly let her go but decided to go ahead and take her hand, just to help her outside.

The ship was leaving from San Diego so they took a train the rest of the way. It was only a couple of hours and Rose got to a great view of the shore along the way. It also gave her time to ask questions. “Why a cruise, I hope you didn’t have to pay too much.”

“I didn’t,” he told her, “we aren’t traveling as passengers, we will be acting as staff.”

“Oh, so like undercover.” Rose said jokingly.

John laughed, “I suppose, I never think of it like that.”

Rose was eager to start, “so, what are we looking for?”

“It's possible that some illegal trading is happening aboard the ship. There isn’t a lot of solid evidence to warrant an investigation so they called me.” He said proudly. “I handle special cases like this.”

“What about me?” Rose asked. “What will I be doing?”

“You’re going to help me by putting that brilliant mind of yours to work.” John said without a hint of humor in his voice.

Rose blushed at his admission, “but, how?”

“You will work in housekeeping, I know it’s not thrilling, or glamorous, but you will cover a lot of ground and see a lot of things.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m bartending, lots of information gets passed around at the bar, alcohol makes people talk.” He said.

“So we are working on a cruise ship and looking for anything suspicious.” She breathed, “Ok.”

“The work hours are crazy but you’ll have some down time to relax too, to enjoy a bit of the cruise life.” He didn’t want her to be disappointed. Not that it mattered he told himself.

 

* * *

 

They arrived in San Diego in the early afternoon and checked in right away. This gave Rose an opportunity to get some quick training on her new job as well as meet some of the crew that she will be working alongside of. She and John got taken in separate directions and Rose was a little disappointed, she didn’t like being on her own in a new place. She quickly got over it though when she met Erica, they were assigned to the same living quarters and they became instant friends.

She was slim and had short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and not much older than Rose. She grew up in Dallas, Texas and the both of them enjoyed hearing each other’s accents. She told Rose she came to San Diego just for the purpose of working on a ship, she wanted to travel while she was still young and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. She had been working for the company for about two years so she had seen quite a bit and had plenty of experience. Rose found this perfect because she may know something about what they are looking for.

* * *

 

The next morning Rose woke to the sound of Erica singing in the shower. As much as Rose enjoyed her southern accent, it did not help her singing voice. Rose stood up and stretched, then changed into her new work uniform. It was not flattering in the least. She wore black slacks with a white button up shirt, accompanied by a black vest.

Once she and Erica were ready they walked to breakfast together. Most of the crew started at 5:30 so it was crowded. Cruise food didn’t seem that wonderful from the staff end, but she ate it. They sat at a table with one of Erica’s friends, Rachel. Rachel had been with the crew for five years and even trained Erica when she first started. She told Rose a few of her horror stories so Rose would not to repeat her mistakes. The biggest one was to knock loudly and announce that you are entering a room before going in. That will save everyone a lot of embarrassment. She also warned her not to get involved in relationships with the crew or the guests. Not only was it forbidden but, things are different at sea she told her, once you are away on the water people change.

After breakfast Erica showed Rose where to check in and they were assigned a master key for a block of rooms that they were assigned to clean. They got a cart and pushed it to their section and began their routine. It wasn’t easy at first, Rose couldn’t keep up with the speed which Erica worked and she felt bad that Erica could clean two rooms to her one. She assured Rose that she will pick up speed in no time, it just took some time to learn.

They finished around noon and Erica told her she was free until dinner time. The first priority Rose had was to go back to her room and change out of her uniform. She put on a pair of shorts and a tank top then headed out to explore.

Along the way she saw John, it was the first she had seen him since they arrived the day before. Like Rose, his uniform consisted of a white, dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black vest. Except he also wore a tie and, unlike Rose, he made it look good. His hours were different from Rose's so he was still working. Rose watched him as he mixed drinks gracefully. He knew what he was doing and he did it masterfully.

She came over and took a seat at the bar to watch him. He smiled at her and unless Rose was imagining things, it seemed like he was showing off a little to impress her. She wouldn’t admit to him that she was slightly impressed, but she also noticed that a few other women made their way over to admire John’s skills. John didn’t seem to notice, however, instead he poured his last drink and quickly turned his attention to Rose while he had a moment.

“Pretty smooth,” Rose complimented him.

“Thanks, but I still can’t serve you, unless you want a Shirley temple,” he teased as he leaned on the bar, closer to Rose.

Rose gave a sarcastic laugh, “I’ll have you know I turn 21 in less than three months.”

“I’ll remember that,” John said with a smirk, “until then, it’s water and soda for you.”

Rose huffed, “anyway, I was just stopping by to say hi, since I’m free until dinner. I’m on my way to look around, I’ll see if I can find…something.”

“Keep out of trouble,” he told her with a wink.

“What’s the fun in that?” Rose teased as she stood and walked away.

* * *

 

Rose went to the private deck reserved for staff and found Erica sitting with a group of people their age. She waved Rose over and introduced her to the group, one of those people was a boy who was also from London named Adam. Everyone assumed they should be friends since they were both from the same place, but Rose didn’t find him interesting in the least.

Adam, however, felt drawn to Rose and when she tried to walk away he followed her. “You know, if you are looking to explore, I know places on this ship that some of the crew don’t even know about.”

Rose was really annoyed now, she was trying to get away from him. “No, ‘m fine. I was just going to go downstairs and..” her mind raced trying to think of something quick. “go eat.”

Adam smiled, “great that’s where I’m headed. I’ll join you.” He walked ahead of her and Rose sighed, wishing she thought of a better excuse.

Nonetheless she was stuck with Adam for at least as long as it took her to eat her lunch. He really liked to talk about himself and he really didn’t give Rose a chance to get a word in herself. At least she could eat faster if she wasn’t talking, she thought.

Luckily for Rose, John just finished his shift and was now getting himself lunch too. She waved at him excitedly and got his attention. John walked over and sat down next to Rose while glaring at Adam. He wanted to know what the boy had in mind with Rose although, it wasn't his place to say anything about it. Rose directed his attention her way as she started talking about her day, ignoring Adam completely.

Finally, Adam got the hint and left, once he was completely gone Rose let out a long, winded sigh. “I thought he would never leave,” she said.

“If he was bugging you why didn’t you just tell him to shove off?” John asked.

“I’m not gonna be rude,” she said in a defensive tone.

“Fine,” John huffed, “what did he want anyway?”

“To bore me to death,” Rose groaned. “He said he knows parts of the ship that the crew didn’t even know about. He was probably just trying to get me alone somewhere.”

John’s look changed to a curious one, “possibly, but aren’t you curious as to how he knows about those places?”

“Ick,” Rose said, disgusted. “I don’t want to know anything about him.”

“Maybe you should try, just to see what he knows. It might help us out.” He said.

“What if he tries something?” Rose asked.

“Then I’ll take care of him, trust me.” He said very seriously.

Rose gave a low, growl, “Argh, fine, I’ll try.”

 

* * *

 

Later that day, after enjoying an afternoon at the pool, Rose went to dinner before her second shift started. After getting her food she searched the area and found Adam sitting alone at a table. Putting on a fake smile, she approached him, “mind if I sit?”

“No, I don’t mind,” he said happily and motioned to the seat across from him. He looked behind her as she began to sit, “is your boyfriend coming too?”

“What?” Rose furrowed her brows, “he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Really?” Adam sounded doubtful.

“Yeah,” Rose insisted, “we’re just friends, that’s all.”

“That’s good,” he told her with a smirk.

“Ok,” Rose was regretting having this conversation. “Anyway, I’m sorry about seeming rude earlier. I just had a crazy morning, I didn’t mean it.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he told her.

“That’s what I keep hearing. So, how did you end up here?” She wanted to get away from the small talk and get to something worthwhile.

Adam took a long drink from his glass of water, “I came to the U.S. for school on a scholarship. During the summer last year, I took a job here to earn some extra money and I guess I just sort of enjoyed it.”

“So you quit school to work here?” That seemed a bit suspicious to Rose.

“Just for the time being, I’ll go back later. I’m just saving up.” He said.

“But, if you had a scholarship, why did you need the money?” Rose was curious now.

Adam looked around and leaned in, “there is a lot of money to be made if you know where to look.”

“Really?” Before she could ask anymore her time was up. Erica came and found her to tell her that they needed to check in and get to work.

* * *

 

The next morning Rose went through her normal routine, then when she was done she changed and headed up to the private deck to find Adam. He was in the same place where she saw him the day before and with the same group too. She invited him to eat with her again which got a lot of whoops from everyone around, but at least he came along.

Rose dove right into questions. “So, what is your job here?”

“I work in maintenance, so I usually run around doing lots of odd jobs.” He said.

“Oh,” Rose said nodding, “that’s why you know so much about the ship.”

“Yeah,” he said, smugly. “I know shortcuts, secret compartments, hidden rooms within rooms, stuff like that.”

“Wow,” Rose said, “I’d like to see that sometime.”

“I can take you on a tour tomorrow, if you want,” he said immediately as if he were waiting for her to ask.

“Ok, sure,” Rose said trying to sound excited but she was still a little nervous.

Rose finished her morning shift and hurried to find John. His early afternoon crowd was far smaller now that most of them were still in bed sleeping from the night before. She took a seat at the bar then looked around to see if anyone was listening in.

“Stop looking suspicious,” John said. “People only get curious if you give them a reason to.”

“Sorry,” Rose said, “I talked to Adam, he going to take me on a “tour” tomorrow after my shift.”

“Ok,” John nodded.

“Yeah,” Rose said, “Adam also told me another interesting thing…”

Suddenly the crowd picked up and John had his hands full. “I’ll try to find you later,” he told Rose and he hurried back to work.


	22. Abandon ship

John had his hands full, he was working late into the night and the crowd wasn’t dying down. He stayed busy while trying to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Then he spotted Adam, he seemed incredibly popular among the guests which was interesting since fraternizing with the passengers wasn’t allowed. He was also asked where to find Adam when he wasn’t around, so John was even more intrigued.

It was in the early morning hours when things finally lightened up. He began to clean up the mess and replenish his stock when the captain of the ship took a seat at the bar. “It gets busy at night, doesn’t it?” He asks John.

“Yeah, but it makes my time go by faster. Are you ordering?”

“Sure, I’ll have a scotch,” he tells John and then watched him prepare his drink. “I’ve never seen you before, are you new?”

“New to this,” John said while handing him his glass. “I usually work on land.”

“So, what brings you here,” the Captain asked before taking a sip.

John shrugged, “I don’t know, I just wanted to try something new I suppose.”

“What about your friend?” The Captain asks.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” John answered nonchalantly.

“I think you do,” he said to John. “I saw you two arrive together, you ate lunch together yesterday and she has visited you at this bar a couple of times too.”

John didn’t speak, he just looked at him curiously then turned his attention back to his work. The man took a drink, swallowing it with an audible gulp. “You see, John, I know everything that happens on this ship and I know who all my people are. So, when I heard of two last minute changes with no explanation, I got curious. If you and your friend are here to start trouble, you will live to regret it.” He stood up from his seat, gave John a nod and walked away.

John studied him, wondering who he really was and why he felt the need to threaten him. He then saw Adam being stopped by the Captain. They seemed pleasant with each other as they whispered and wandered further away, out of John’s view. This is curious, John thought to himself.

* * *

 

The next afternoon Rose met up with Adam after lunch. The first place he took her to was far below deck, much further than she assumed it would go. Once they reached the bottom, Rose looked back and forth down the long corridor lined with doors, “so, what goes on down here?”

“Nothing really anymore, just electrical work,” Adam said as he walked along. Rose followed, studying every detail.

“What’s behind these doors,” Rose asked as she pointed at a few that they just passed up.

“Just storage rooms, some are old offices that don’t get used anymore. Nothing of any importance,” he continued to walk further down. They reached another hallway except this one lead to a dead end. It looked to be where all the piping passed through from the ceiling, all the way to the floor. Adam smiled at Rose, “follow me, it’s a tight squeeze.” Adam pressed his back to the wall and sidestepped past all the pipes. Rose followed and they went almost twenty feet in before they reached a small opening at the back.

Adam stepped forward into the small space and Rose behind him. She saw a ladder that went all the way up to what she assumed was the top of the ship. They climbed the ladder several decks up until they were at the main deck. Rose stepped off the ladder behind him into what appeared to be a dimly lit and narrow hallway.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“This is a secret observation deck,” Adam told her. “There are windows where you can see out but people can’t see in.”

“What’s the point of that?”

“Security, I guess,” Adam shrugged. “This is another area that doesn’t get used anymore.”

They walked down the hallway and stopped to look out at the passengers as they ate, drank and sunbathed. It was a little creepy in Rose’s opinion until she spotted John, who was back at his work. His bar wasn’t crowded at the moment aside from two bikini clad girls chatting him up. Rose watched, curiously as he was telling them something that they found to be rather hilarious. She felt a little pang of jealousness but ignored it.

Adam leaned over, “what’s going on?” He looked out to where Rose was looking, “Oh, looks like your friend is earning his money,” he said with a laugh.

“What do you mean?” Rose asked.

“Nothing, it’s just a figure of speech.” Adam said defensively.

“Well, you said there are ways of making money if you knew where to look, is that what you meant?” Rose said while pointing toward John with her thumb.

“No, no, besides, any kind of relations with a passenger is prohibited, no need to worry.” Adam told her.

“Why would I be worried,” Rose asked, now she was getting defensive.

“Never mind,” Adam huffed and walked back in the direction they came from.

“Is that it?” Rose asked, in a short tone, feeling that he was cutting it short.

“It is for up here. There’s more, we just need to go back down.” He climbed back down the ladder and Rose followed. They went back past the pipes and back down the hall, past the doors. This time, when Rose passed she heard a thud from behind one of the doors.

“What was that?” She asked Adam quietly.

“I didn’t hear anything,” he said nervously. There was another audible thud and Adam swallowed hard, it was obvious he was getting nervous. “It’s probably just some equipment shifting, just come on.” His voice was getting more anxious which made Rose more curious.

Rose approached the door, ignoring Adam’s plea to ignore it and keep moving. He tried to stop her but Rose flung the door open to find her roommate Erica, lying unconscious on the floor. Rose rushed to her side but was quickly pulled away by a man with red hair, a beard, and was probably twice the size of John. He pulled her arms behind her and she didn’t struggle, knowing it would be useless. The man guided her to a beam and wrapped her arms around it, handcuffing her in place. He then dragged Erica over to her and cuffed her to the same beam, her back to Rose’s.

Rose looked around the room that she now realized was full of wooden crates. One of those crates was opened near where she first spotted Erica and inside Rose saw several large guns. She then looked at Adam who seemed shocked but not surprised, this obviously wasn’t planned. “What the hell is going on?” Rose said to Adam angrily.

“I’m sorry Rose, I didn’t mean for this to happen to you.” Adam told her apologetically.

“What about Erica?” Rose yelled, “Why is she here?”

Adam looked lost for words, he didn’t have an answer. Just then the captain appeared, looking very satisfied with himself. “Hello, Rose.” He said in a sinister tone.

Rose looked at him, she knew who he was but never formally met him so why did he know her name? She didn’t want to appear weak, “what is all of this,” she asked the Captain.

“Well, if you must know. Adam here wasn’t supposed to bring you down here, then your friend followed you and she got nosey so we had to take care of her. Then you had to get nosey, now we have to take care of you too.”

“How, what is your plan?” Rose asked.

“That’s up to you,” The Captain said, “you can either cooperate and live or you can not cooperate and, well, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“Okay, so how do I cooperate?” Rose asked calmly. She was hoping it was simple but knew it wasn’t likely.

“Well, for starters, you can tell me what agency you are working for. Then you are going to help me get rid of your partner.” The Captain stood tall, looking very confident and authorative.

Rose couldn’t help but laugh, “I really have no idea what you are talking about, I don’t work for any agency, and what partner?”

“Don’t be coy with me, I already spoke with him last night and I tried to warn him. Obviously, you didn’t get the memo. I’ve been doing this for too long and I’ve dealt with your type plenty of times before. So, I’m going to give you some time to make up your mind, when I come back you better have an answer or I’m going to make your mind up for you.” With that, he walked away with Adam behind him, who gave Rose one last apologetic look.

Rose called over to Erica, hoping to wake her but she was still unconscious. Then Rose leaned her head back on the pole, wondering what she was supposed to do and where John was. He told her he would take care of her and that didn’t seem to be happening. Her mind wandered back to him and the two girls he was talking to earlier and Rose was starting to feel betrayed.

* * *

 

Nightfall came and although Rose couldn’t see the time she could hear the music getting louder so she had an idea about what time it was. Erica was awake now, but the man watching them refused to let them talk, so they sat quietly, waiting for something to happen.

They didn’t have to wait long after that. The room went black and the music overhead stopped, obviously, there was a power outage. “What’s happening?” Rose began to ask but the man yelled at her to stay quiet. He pulled out a flashlight and opened the door looking out, both ways. The hallway was dark too, so dark that Rose couldn’t see a thing. She just heard a thud and the sound of hurried footsteps rushing over.

The footsteps got closer and Rose’s heart began to race. That is until the dim light of a flashlight revealed John’s face. Rose was overjoyed and when John got them uncuffed Rose threw her arms around him in a tight hug. John gratefully hugged back then he leaned into her ear and whispered, “it’s a little late to ask, but can you swim?”

Rose almost felt sick knowing what he was really asking but simply nodded while stepping away so John could uncuff Erica. Next he took her hand and led her out of the room with Erica close behind. When they reached the door, Rose saw another familiar face, Adam’s. She tensed up and John quickly covered her mouth with his hand to keep her quiet. He whispered in her ear, “it’s ok, I’ll explain later, just trust me on this.” Adam took the flashlight and led them away.

Rose didn’t know where they were going or if Adam was leading them to their doom, but she had to trust John’s judgement. They ran through a maze of hallways and up some stairs before reaching a door, “this is it,” Adam whispered. “Let me check to see if it’s clear.” He stepped through the door and after a quiet, tense, moment he came back, “all clear, just be quick.”

John gave instructions, “ok, we are going out a door that is not too far above the water so it’s not a long jump. The water is a little cold and a bit choppy, but don’t worry because someone is out there on a raft waiting for us.

Rose’s eyes were wide, she was not expecting any of this. John gently cradled her head in his hands and focused her eyes on his, “Do you trust me?”

Rose swallowed and felt some of her fear subside when her eyes met his. He knew what he was doing and he was going to keep her safe, she believed it. “Yeah, I do,” Rose said, “let’s do this, yeah.”

John grinned wide, “I’m so glad I met you,” and kissed her forehead in a quick, friendly, gesture surprising Rose.

“Ok, let’s go.” He led them to the doorway and it was so dark Rose could barely see anything. Erica jumped in first without hesitation. Rose was still nervous but figured if Erica could do it, so could she. Before she could second guess herself Rose stepped off and braced herself. The water was cold but not painfully so. She went under several feet but she surfaced quickly, gasping for air.

She was able to locate the raft by a small light shining a few feet away and swam over, getting help climbing in. John quickly followed and once he was in, a small, quiet, motor kicked on and they took off. The air was cool and Rose was feeling the chill on her wet skin. She balled up, trying to warm herself and John scooted closer to her. “Are you ok?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her warm.

“Yeah,” Rose said. She leaned into him and he tightened his embrace around her.

“Don’t tell anyone but...” he reached into his wet pants pocket and pulled out a flask. He opened it and handed it to her, “it’ll warm you up.”

Rose giggled, taking it from him. Without thinking she took a large mouthful and nearly gagged on the whisky but she swallowed it down. She handed it back with a sour face and John took it back laughing quietly. He took a drink of his own and put it back in his pocket. He wrapped his arms back around her and pulled her close.

Erica sat across from the two, watching them with awe, Rose almost forgot she was there. “Wait, why did they have you down there?”

“John asked me to keep an eye on you and Adam today since he couldn’t get away. When you started coming back down that ladder, I tried to hide and ran into the room closest to me. I didn’t know what was in there so when I saw all the guns they knocked me out.”

“Why did he ask you?”

“I’m an undercover agent. I’ve been following Adam for several months and every time I thought I was getting close, I would hit a dead end.”

“How come nobody told me?” Rose asked

“I only just found out today?” John said.

“Yeah, me too.” Erica said, “We found each other out early this morning when we were both spying on Adam. I thought this was just a drug deal, but I didn’t know there were weapons too.”

“The Captain is keeping it all well-hidden, which is why he was so suspicious of us.” John said.

Rose was very confused, “So, what happens now?”

“I cut all power and emergency power. The ship will get towed in and once all the passengers are safely ashore, other agents will come on board and investigate. This way no one gets hurt, hopefully.”

“What if he finds out we are gone?” Rose asked.

“I guarantee it is chaotic on that ship right now. He won’t have time to even think about us.”

“So, what do we do? What about all our things, our clothes,” Rose asked John.

“We’re done, we did what we came to do. We’ll relax for a couple of days and move on. We can go back and get our things once they say its ok.”

The raft pulled along-side a larger rescue vessel that would take them the rest of the way back. How long that would be, Rose didn’t know.

They each climbed aboard, still dripping wet. With no dry clothes to change into, they had to settle for a few spare blankets to keep warm. John was right about the whiskey helping her feel warm, but it also made her tired. Once she got inside and found a semi soft chair and she was fast asleep.


	23. Hawaii

The sun was shining brightly through a nearby window, waking Rose the next morning. She didn’t even remember falling asleep, and she wondered how long she slept. Her clothes were dry, but the salt from the ocean kept them crisp, scratchy, and uncomfortable. She stretched, looking around the empty room, wondering where everyone was and why they didn't wake her. She walked outside and saw a few crewmen busy at work, they didn’t even acknowledge her and she was grateful for that. She made her way to the other side of the vessel and finally found John, still in his work uniform from the previous night, chatting with two other crewmen. When he saw her approaching he smiled and exclaimed, “she lives!” in a playful tone.

Rose blushed with embarrassment, trying to hide her face while she walked closer to his side. “How long was I out?” she asked John quietly.

“About seven hours,” John told her, his voice much louder than the one she was using. “It’s still breakfast time, if you feel like eating.”

Rose just then realized how hungry she was, she rubbed her growling stomach and told him, “I would love to eat.”

John bid the two crewmen farewell and led Rose off the boat. Once they got further from the dock Rose finally realized where she was. She looked around and saw miles of luscious green trees and plants, mountains, and bright blue water. She was speechless, she had only seen pictures of the island before, but never did she dream that she would step foot here. She grabbed John’s arm for guidance because she didn’t want to look away, feeling that if she did, she would miss something.

Noticing that Rose was enjoying the view, John took her to an outdoor café, overlooking the water. After they were seated, ordered, and got their food John was finally able to get Rose’s attention, “are you doing all right?”

“Yeah,” Rose nodded, just culture shock I suppose.

“I see that,” John said with a chuckle, “but, I mean after last night.”

She hadn’t really thought about it, “I think so, it was frightening, but I didn’t feel scared. If that makes any sense.”

John nodded, “it does make sense, actually.” He smiled gently before taking a drink of water, “I’m sorry though, I didn’t want to put you in any direct danger.”

“It’s not your fault,” Rose told him, “I’m the one who had to go investigate.”

“I should have been there,” he told her. “I just couldn’t get away.”

“Well, you sure seemed to have your hands full,” Rose mumbled, thinking back to the day before.

“What?” John asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Rose shook her head and changed the subject, “what happened to Erica?”

“She’s still working on her case. Unlike me, she has someone to report to. so she had to leave as soon as we docked.”

“Oh,” Rose said sadly.

John finished his meal and leaned back in his chair, stretching his back in the process. “No worries, I’m sure she’ll pop up again before we leave. Are you almost ready?”

Rose looked down at her half eaten plate, she wasn’t quite as hungry as she thought, but she was satisfied, “yeah, what are we going to do now?”

“Hopefully get out of these clothes,” he said, his face reddening immediately. “What I mean is…” he started to explain and Rose held up a hand to stop him. “It’s ok,” she said giggling, “I know what you meant.”

“Yeah…,” John said, still not meeting her eye. “Anyway, I know a guy who has a vacation home here and he owes me a favor. I talked to him this morning, he said nobody is currently using it and we are free to stay for as long as we like.”

“Great,” Rose said while standing up. “let’s go check it out.”

 

They took a cab to the house and, when they pulled up, they realized the house was much larger than either of them expected. It wasn’t tall but it was long, with large, front, windows. The walkway was tiled and plants surrounded them as they approached two large wooden doors.

Walking in, the entry way was broad, inviting them in further. It was wide and open inside, a large sofa and several chairs sat around a massive television. Strategically placed artwork hung on the walls, each with its own light shining on it.

The nearby kitchen was fully stocked and at the opposite end were doors leading out back to a pool and hot tub. Rose stood beside the pool, her eyes wide with surprise. Just beyond the pool was the ocean, a short distance away. John came beside her and she said, “this is a vacation home?”

“Yep,” he wanted to kick himself for taking her to another extravagant place, although he didn’t know it himself. After all the times he told her not to get used to it, he continued to outdo himself. Not that he didn't enjoy seeing her reactions, but what will she think when they have to stay somewhere in a pinch. John was used to sleeping in cheap motels, the floor at an acquaintance’s small flat, or even in a tent. He worried if he was setting her up for disappointment.

They went back inside to map out the rest of the house. There were three massive bedrooms, four bathrooms, a small office with a computer and even a laundry room which Rose was grateful for because not only were her clothes uncomfortable, she was starting to smell like fish from the ocean water. Lucky for them, there were also spare clothes to borrow until they got theirs washed.

After touring the house John disappeared into one of the bedrooms saying that he needed a shower and a nap. A shower sounded like a wonderful idea but a bath sounded better. Rose found the bathroom with the biggest bathtub and started to fill it. She slipped out of her clothes and stepped into the tub, sinking herself all the way under then slowly came back up with a satisfied sigh. She then laid her head back and closed her eyes, letting her body go limp as she relaxed.

It wasn’t long before the quiet of the house made her uncomfortable. Things have been so fast paced and hectic, she wasn’t prepared for quiet serenity. There were no nearby houses, main roads or people for that matter. She felt so alone. Her friends, her Mum, everyone she knew was back in London, and she was here, all the way on the other side of the planet, alone. Except for John of course, but she barely even knew him. Sure he's protected her, kept her safe, and has been showing her a whole new way of living but, aside from that, what did she really know about him? Was his name even John Smith? It seemed like an alias. Was he married, has he been married, kids? If she was going to keep doing this, it was time she learned.

 

* * *

 

It was late afternoon when Rose decided to wander to the beach. She chose a spot, laid out a blanket, and sat. She watched the waves breaking on the shore and breathed in the salty air. There was a slight breeze and although it was late fall, the warm air told her otherwise. The sun in the distance was barley starting to set, but she still had about hour before nightfall.

While watching the waves, her mind drifted back home and she wondered what her mum was doing. Probably sleeping, she figured, it was still night time there. Then her mind wandered to David, she hadn’t thought about him much these days. It felt like ages since they broke up and she hadn't seen him since. She wondered if he still thought about her too, or if he was seeing someone else. What would happen if they ever saw each other again?

“There you are,” Rose heard from behind her making her jump. She looked up at John who was laughing at her, “sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said while he sat down beside her. He was wearing tan shorts, a white tee and no shoes.

Rose laid back, propping herself up on her elbows and stared at John, intrigued.

“What is it?” he asked, feeling uncomfortable.

“Nothing, you just look so…relaxed.”

John laid back and rolled on his side, lounging beside her. “I’m more relaxed in my normal clothes, I’ll have to settle for now.”

Rose nodded then turned away, her eyes settled back on the horizon.

“What brings you out here?” John asked. He knew it was a silly question, but he wasn’t good at holding conversations very often.

“I don’t know,” Rose answered solemnly. “It’s just so strange being here. This is the kind of place you hear about, see in pictures and in movies. I never thought I would actually be here and there it is,” she gestured around her.

“Never?”

“Well, a couple of years ago I did,” she paused for a moment, telling herself to stop but her mouth kept going anyway. “I was dating this boy, David, and it was pretty serious. I thought that one day we were going to be married and we would honeymoon someplace like this.” She smiled briefly at the thought and grew quiet.

John sat up, feeling uncomfortable, “so, what happened?”

“He broke up with me,” she said bluntly. She almost wanted to cry thinking about that day again, but fought back the tears. “He thought we changed, grew apart or something. I don’t know, maybe he just got tired of me...” she sat up, pulling her knees to her chest as she continued to stare out at the water.

“Rose Tyler,” John said with a small laugh. “Who could ever get tired of you? I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks and it’s been far from boring.”

Rose giggled, “same goes for you.” She bumped his shoulder with hers and he looked back at her smiling. They locked eyes and held their gaze for a quiet moment. Rose felt a flutter in her stomach and bit her lip as she continued to stare.

John was the first to break away as he gulped and said, “I should go back, there’s something I forgot to do.” He leapt to his feet and made a fast retreat.

Rose groaned and buried her face in her hands. She knew it was wrong, but she was slowly falling for him. Sure he was older, but not horribly older. She found him incredibly attractive, especially at quiet times when he lets his guard down. Although, his tough guy attitude could be sexy as hell too.

It wasn’t just his looks that had her feeling this way, it was the way he made her feel. For the first time in a very long time she was confident, unlike how she felt when she was with Jimmy. Also unlike Jimmy, John often told her she was brilliant and he was always teaching her new things. Most of all, she trusted him and he made her feel safe. Everything about him was amazing, but apparently he didn't feel that way about her.

* * *

 

John reached the house and as soon as the door closed he cursed himself. “What the hell just happened?” he asked himself. He looked out the window, back to where Rose was still sitting. He couldn’t get the picture out of his mind, her plump lower lip being pressed between her teeth while her eyes stared back at him hungrily. Maybe it was his imagination, it had to be. There is no way a gorgeous young girl like Rose, would ever be interested in an old man like him.

Plus, she just finished reminiscing about her ex, who apparently she wanted to marry at one point. Her feeling must have just been mixed up. That thought just annoyed him, now he was in an awful mood. He wasn’t going to let her use him to help her get over another man. His breathing deepened before he punched his fist on the hard granite counter top, drawing blood from his knuckles. After that, he thought it would be best for him to spend the rest of the evening in bed.


	24. Chapter 24

When Rose woke up the next morning, John was already gone. He never told her he was leaving or where he was going to. He hadn’t spoken to her since that moment on the beach the day before. Maybe she overstepped her boundaries and made him uncomfortable, she thought to herself. They had a great relationship, whatever it might be, and she worried that she just ruined it by letting him see that she saw him in a different light. He’s always reminding her how young she is, maybe he sees her as just a child.

That thought just depressed Rose, she went back to her room and changed back into her now clean clothes and made herself some breakfast. What if he changes his mind now? She wondered, what if he decides to take her home before she gets herself too attached. She isn’t ready to go home yet, she is finally doing something worthwhile with her life. Maybe she should tone it down and show him that she can be professional and not an emotional child.

A small time after, John walked back through the door and faced Rose for the first time in hours. “The ship is back,” he told her plainly, not quite meeting her eye. He pretended to look for something to drink in the refrigerator, “when you’re ready we can go back and collect our things.”

“Okay,” Rose told him. She got up and started cleaning her dishes. She didn’t want an awkward silence so she kept talking. “So, what all did they find?”

John finally perked up, “More than they expected, drugs, stolen goods, and guns, lots of guns.”

“And the Captain?” Rose asked.

“Gone, he must have had an escape plan in order and knew something was up.”He finally relaxed, now that they were talking about something other than themselves. “Your boyfriend turned himself in though.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Rose said annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest. “What happened that night anyway, how did you know to trust him?”

“His conscience must have caught up to him.” John said, “After you were caught and threatened he must have had enough. He did a brave thing talking to me, it could have ended badly for him.”

“What’s going to happen to him now?”

“Considering he cooperated, turned himself in, and helped us out. He’ll probably get a minimum sentence, then hopefully he learns to do something better with himself.” He clapped his hands together, “So, if you’re done here, we can head out. It’s not a long walk actually.”

“Sure,” Rose followed him out the door.

* * *

 

Things seemed to be normal again as they walked back to the ship, John talked a lot and even made jokes. It was a relief to Rose, but she also noticed that he kept more of a distance from her than normal. She kind of missed having someone’s hand to hold.

When they got to the ship it was empty, aside from a few stray crew members. It was almost eerie to Rose, just a couple of days ago, it was packed with people and now she walked alone to her old room. When she walked in, she was relieved to find Erica there, packing her own things as well. Rose greeted her with a big hug, “I’m so happy to see you again.”

“Me too,” Erica said, hugging her back. “I’m sorry I had to leave so quickly, I had a lot of things to take care of and very little time to do it.”

“I know, it’s ok. How have you been, since everything that happened that night?” Rose asked.

“I’m fine,” Erica assured her, “It’s not the first time I’ve had to make a daring escape and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

Rose giggled, “how long have you been doing this?”

“Five years,” Erica said plainly. “How about you?”

“Me?” Rose asked surprised, she didn’t consider herself to be an agent of any kind. “I’m not, not really anything.” She saw Erica stop packing to look at her. “I met John not too long ago, a couple of weeks or so. After I helped him catch a group of weapons dealers he invited me to join him and I’ve been helping him since then.”

“So, you aren’t a couple?” Erica asked.

“No,” Rose told her, “were just…I don’t know. Associates?”

Erica laughed a little too hard, “Associates, huh? You could have fooled me.” She resumed packing as Rose stood staring at her.

“What do you mean? Whatever made you think that we were a couple?”

“For starters, I would have to say the cuddling and whispering you two did on that raft the other night.”

“I was cold,” Rose defended herself.

“So was I,” Erica added, “nobody seemed to care to keep me warm. Aside from that, it was the way he looks at you, whenever you were too busy to notice.”

“So, he keeps an eye on me, he just wants to be sure I’m safe.”

“Oh please! If that were true he wouldn’t care if you saw it, he waits until you look away and this small smile spreads on his lips, I even saw him blush once. I’m not sure what he was thinking then, but it was definitely something.”

Rose was stuffing a few items in her own bag while listening, trying to hide her own smile. Erica could see it as well, as the blush spread across her cheeks. “I knew it, you like him too,” Erica said excitedly.

“Stop!” Rose yelled, looking embarrassed. “It’s not like that.”

“No?” Erica asked, “all those times you are alone, you two never…”

“No! He would never…”

“Oh,” Erica said quietly then resumed packing.

As the two quietly packed, Rose’s mind kept spinning, “something did happen actually.” She blurted out, ending the silence. “Yesterday, we were alone on the beach. We were just talking and we fell silent. I almost wanted to kiss him and it seemed like he wanted to kiss me, whatever, but he ran off. He’s been sort of avoiding me since then.”

“Really? He’s not married, is he?” She asked while putting the remaining items in her bag and zipping it up.

“No, I don’t think so, we never talk about it.” Rose said.

“Well, maybe he’s just nervous. It’s funny when you meet big, strong guys like him and find out that a pretty girl can frighten him. Just take it slow.” She picked up her bag and hugged Rose while handing her a card, “I need to get going but here’s my phone number if you ever need anything or you just want to talk.”

“Ok,” Rose said sadly. She knew she couldn’t stay with Erica forever, but she’s a friend she didn’t want to see leave so soon. She finished packing up her things and headed back up to find John. She found him waiting for her on the main deck. He was back in his jeans and leather, leaning on a wall with his arms crossed and looking out toward the water with a stern look on his face, sort of normal for him. Rose started to approach him and when he turned and saw her coming a smile grew wide on his lips and his eyes brightened. Rose couldn’t help but smile in return, it was infectious.

Maybe Erica was right, maybe he did share Rose’s feelings. She had to figure out how to get him to open without scaring him away.


	25. Mexico

Back in London, Jackie Tyler was shopping at the supermarket when she was spotted by Donna. “Jackie?” Donna called in surprise. They hadn’t seen each other in months.

Jackie broke into a smile “Donna, how have you been?”

“About the same, still working as a secretary, nothing new. How about you, how have you been? I heard about Rose.”

Jackie sighed, news traveled fast apparently. “Yeah, she met some man who offered to take her to travel the world as his apprentice.”

“Oh,” Donna forced a smile. “That sounds…nice.”

Jackie sighed, “I know how it sounds, but she seems to be enjoying herself. She called me this morning and told me she is in Hawaii, staying in some fancy house. She even sends me some of the most incredible photos.”

“But, are you ok with it?” Donna asked with a sincere hand on her shoulder.

Jackie gave a subtle nod, “It’s nothing like that time before, at least she keeps in touch and I know where she is. I just want her to be happy.” She sighed and wanted to change the subject. “How about David, is he still in school?”

Donna gave a genuine smile this time, “He’s doing good, very good. I wish I had his knack for learning, maybe I would be doing something more with my life. He’ll be home in a few weeks for Christmas.”

Jackie then realized how close the holidays were and wondered if Rose was going to be home for Christmas as well, or if she was going to spend the holiday home alone.

 

* * *

 

 Rose was once again on an airplane, this time bound for Mexico. They spent three extra days relaxing in Hawaii while John waited for information about the Captain of the ship. They learned his real name was Henry van Statten and he was last seen near Puerto Vallarta. John was determined to catch this man and Rose did not disagree.

She wouldn’t have minded staying in Hawaii either, her time there was amazing. John took her hiking through the Thurston Lava Tube which ended in a beautiful rain forest. They also visited the botanical gardens, went whale watching, and Rose even got John to take her to a luau, which took a lot of convincing.

This was a great opportunity for Rose to strengthen her relationship with John, not on a romantic level but on a friendship level. She got him to open up about himself a little, but he still was very vague on most details when it came to his personal life and family. Still, she wasn’t going to push too hard and was glad to learn a bit more about him.

Rose also noticed that John had a jealous side, though he refused to admit it. Their last night on the island, they went to eat at an outdoor restaurant that also happened to have live music and dancing. Rose couldn’t help but move to the beat as she sat at the table and after countlessly asking John for just one dance she decided to venture off and dance on her own. It wasn’t long before a local boy her age came along-side and danced with her. It wasn’t close, it wasn’t intimate, but when Rose glanced in John’s direction she saw him now standing with his arms tightly crossed and his mouth turned to a scowl.

The song came to an end and the band went on break so Rose went back to John not knowing that the boy was still behind her. She could still remember the look in John's eyes when he stared the boy down with a look that made him flee to the other side of the floor and the grip he had on her after. He still says he was tired and that is why he acted the way he did. Luckily, she got him cheered up again on the walk back and the rest of the night was peaceful.

Rose stared out the window as the plane began to take off, looking at the island and wondering if this was the last time she was ever going to see it. She felt John’s hand grab hers and he gave a gentle squeeze. Rose looked back at him and smiled, “So, tell me more about Mexico.”

 

* * *

 

The flight was short and when they landed someone was already waiting for them, it wasn’t a surprise, John called ahead and arranged for a ride. As they approached the man that John obviously knew, Rose learned that John knew fluent Spanish. The two men greeted each other and John introduced the man, whose name was Sergio, and he attempted to greet her in broken English.

They left the airport and climbed into a small car, John sat up front with the man while Rose sat in the back quietly, watching out the window. She never imagined that she would be so well traveled in such a short amount of time, but here she was, in a whole new country. The two men talked and Rose did not understand anything they were saying, not that she cared, she was captivated by the view. The city was bright and colorful. She saw many street vendors, children playing, and lots of detailed architecture. It was nothing like the movies she had seen, which never did the country justice.

It wasn’t a terribly long drive before they pulled up to a large house in a secluded area, with many people outside of it. If Rose wasn’t mistaken, she would say this house was well guarded although nobody looked dangerous. The car parked and John helped her out. “Where are we at?” Rose asked cautiously, looking around at her surroundings.

John kept his voice low, “he’s sort of an acquaintance of mine and usually can get me the information I need. No need to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Rose told him as she followed him into the house. It was a beautiful house actually, with tile floors and custom Mexican décor.

A handsome, well-dressed, man approached them with a bright smile. He was around John’s age, with short, dark, well-groomed hair, a goatee and dark, mysterious eyes. He seemed very pleased to see John as his arms extended in his greeting, “John Smith! Como estas?”

John reached out and shook his hand firmly, avoiding a hug, “same as always, I suppose.”

“Which is why you are here to see me,” the man said with perfect English, but with a firm Mexican accent. “Unless you’ve decided to take me up on my offer to come and work for me.”

“Sorry, but no.” John told him.

The man turned his attention to Rose, “I see you’ve brought a friend this time.” He took a few steps in Rose’s direction and took her hand gently, pressing a kiss to the top of it. “Hola, bonita. My name is Alejandro Cortez Mendoza, what might I call you?” He flashed Rose a stunning smile, making her smile back shyly.

“Rose,” she giggled. She didn’t know why she giggled, she just found him somewhat charming.

“Rose,” he repeated back. He still held her hand and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. “May I say, I’ve never seen a Rose quite as beautiful as you.” Rose let out another giggle, why couldn’t she stop? Before she could say anything else, John made a disapproving noise and he was now glaring at them.

“Ah, of course,” Alejandro said as he let go of Rose’s hand and stepped back. “My apologies, you know I cannot stop myself when I see a beautiful woman. I did not mean any disrespect, I take it you two are together.”

“Something like that,” John said shortly. Rose looked at him, slightly surprised but figuring she should play along, she took a few steps toward John and took his hand. Naturally, he took hers without hesitation.

Alejandro smiled at them, “well, back to business.” He motioned for them to have a seat on a nearby sofa while he sat in a chair across from them.

Rose sat close to John, she figured she would take advantage of the situation, whatever it may be. To her relief, John didn’t pull back or get uncomfortable. In fact, he put his arm around her and pulled her in closer. “I’ve come here to see if you’ve heard of a man by the name of Henry van Statten?”

Alejandro nodded and stroked his goatee, “his name has come across a few times, what kind of information are you looking for?”

“He was last seen here, in Puerto Vallarta. I need to know where I can find him?” John spoke seriously, his lighthearted tone from earlier was gone.

Alejandro let out a small laugh and smiled at John while he continued to stroke his beard. He then turned in his seat and called to a man in the next room, the man came to his side immediately.

As the two men were busy speaking Rose leaned into a John’s ear, “so, are we a couple now?” She laughed gently and luckily John smiled back and let out a small laugh of his own.

He leaned over and quietly whispered, “sorry, but I didn’t want you to worry about fighting him off of you the whole time we are here. I know how he can be with pretty girls.”

“Fine with me, I can play along.” she told him with a mischievous grin. He smiled in return and tightened his embrace around her.

“Would you two like to be alone?” Alejandro asked them, playfully.

John’s face turned two shades pinker as he suddenly loosened his grip on her. “No,” he answered quickly. “Sorry, we were just talking.”

“It didn’t look like talking,” Alejandro laughed. “Anyway, my men are contacting their sources right now and hopefully we will have the information you seek shortly.” He stood up from his chair, “come with me. There's lots of food, we can eat while we wait.”

 

* * *

 

After an hour the three still sat at the dining table, very full from a satisfying meal. There was still no word on van Statten and now there was massive storm outside that seemed to come out of nowhere. Rose stared at the rain beating against the window, seemingly deep in thought when she felt John’s hand cover hers. She looked over at him and they shared a smile.

“You seem a lot happier these days, John”,” Alejandro said while watching the two of them. “You’re less tense too, Rose must be good to you.”

“She defiantly keeps things interesting,” John said.

One of Alejandro’s men entered the room and spoke with Alejandro quietly. Alejandro turned back to them, “well, van Statten did have an associate here who met up with him and the two traveled together to Durango.”

“Durango?” John repeated, surprised. “What business would he have going there?”

“No idea, probably not good,” Alejandro said as he reached for a bottle and started pouring three shots of tequila, placing one in front of each of them.

John wanted to protest, thinking the alcohol might be a bit strong for Rose, but as he reach a hand near the glass Rose slapped her hand over it. “There’s no law here saying I can’t enjoy a drink.”

“I never said that,” John told her and withdrew his hand. “I just want your mind sharp when we leave here.”

“Leave?” Alejandro barked out a laugh. “Do you see that storm outside? The roads will be flooded until morning.”

John looked out the window, it was obvious that he did not plan for this.

“Don’t worry, amigo. You can stay, I’m not going to kick you out in this weather.”

John continued staring out the window, looking distraught. He wanted to keep looking for van Statten, but now he was trapped and Rose was trapped with him.

As if Rose knew what he was thinking, she patted his arm. “It’s ok John, one more night won’t hurt.”

John let out a defeated huff and swallowed down the drink in front of him.

* * *

 

The three spent the next few hours talking. Rose hoped to learn more about John through Alejandro, but even he knew very little about John himself. He spoke as if John was the biggest mystery that nobody could solve.

After three more shots of the tequila, Rose was beginning to feel far too comfortable. She was no stranger to alcohol, but typically she danced it off and rarely did shots. Now she sat there with a lovely buzz and John by her side.

Her hand stayed in his for most of the night and eventually she found herself slowly stoking her thumb along his, staring at every detail as if she had never seen his hands before. She then imagined what those hands would feel like on her body, his calloused fingers tracing her curves. A rush of excitement ran through her and she had to readjust herself in her seat.

John looked over at her and she was still blushing from her previous thought. “Are you all right,” he asked, noticing the redness in her cheeks.

Rose nodded, feeling as if he could see the image in her mind. “Yeah, ’m fine.” She hiccupped then leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath to cool down.

He pushed a glass of water in front of her and continued his conversation with Alejandro, which Rose now realized, she had not been following for quite some time. It was something about a man named Paul and what they last knew about him.

Feeling too lost to try and get involved in the conversation, Rose turned her attention back to John. By this time, he had removed his leather jacket and Rose was able to better see his neck, broad shoulders and the form of his back. Although he still wore a jumper she could tell he had a lot of muscle and she was really interested in seeing more.

Absentmindedly, Rose reached over and placed her hand on John’s back. His speaking stopped for a brief moment then he continued, pretending to ignore the gesture. If Rose’s head was more clear, she probably would have stopped there, but the other part of her mind convinced her that they needed to keep up appearances if they were to look like a convincing couple.

She began trailing her hand, slowly, up John’s back to the bare skin of his neck. She then began to trace her finger back and forth along his hairline on the back his neck. After a moment, his breath hitched and he sat back, gently taking Rose’s hand from his neck and holding it in his.

He was able to keep her under control for a few moments although, he could still feel her eyes on him. He was becoming distracted by all of this and his breaking moment came when Rose’s hand slipped from his and somehow found itself on his knee. His whole body tensed and he lost his train of thought completely.

Alejandro giggled at the two, “it seems to me that your lady friend is ready for bed.”

“I agree,” John said, thankful that he had a reason to get away from Rose in her intoxicated state.

Alejandro stood up, “I’ll show you to your room.”

Rose’s jaw fell open when she looked at John, but he couldn’t look back at her. He didn’t even say anything, he just stood up and followed his friend. Rose quickly sobered up as she followed behind John, the last thing she expected to happen at the end of the night was to be sleeping in a room alone with him.

She entered the room which Alejandro had led them to, it was a decent sized room with a very large bed, just one bed. There was an attached en suite with a walk-in shower and double sink. She walked across the room to a window and gazed out, watching the rain pound down in the garden just outside.

She heard Alejandro excuse himself and listened to the door close. Suddenly the room felt ten times smaller. She couldn’t bring herself to turn around, she just stared out the window quietly. She could feel John’s presence behind her, not close but she was very aware that he was there.

“I’m sorry, Rose. I promise you, I didn’t plan this. I can sleep on the floor, you can have the bed.”

“No,” Rose said immediately, surprising John as well as herself at the speed of her reply. She turned around, slowly to face him, but kept her eyes trained on the floor, “you…” she stuttered, “you can sleep in the bed, with me.”

“Rose, you don’t have to…”

Rose held her hand up to cut him off, she stood tall now and found her courage. “John, we are two mature adults. That is a huge bed, I’m sure we are capable of sharing it. It doesn’t need to be weird.”

Rose was ready for him to protest, but was caught by surprise when he shrugged and smiled, “fair enough.” He then plopped himself on the left side of the bed and laid back, with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed.

Rose stared at him in disbelief, how could he suddenly be so calm? “Aren’t you going to change?”

“I don’t have any sleep clothes, this is fine,” he then kicked off his boots and continued to relax.

“Right,” Rose said, still feeling puzzled. “I’m gonna go change then, yeah,” and she retreated to the en suite with her bag. She shut the door behind her and exhaled slowly. What had she gotten herself into?

In the other room, John laid on the bed and when he heard Rose shut the door his smile diminished. He was putting on a brave face for her, hoping to make her feel less uncomfortable. but now he was fighting an inner battle of his own. What was he supposed to do now? Would he even be able to sleep knowing she is in the bed right next to him? He then reflected back on the events at the dinner table and how she was touching him and his cock began to twitch.

He groaned and then sat up, he needed a distraction. He grabbed his duffle bag and dug around, pulling out a book. He laid back down and flipped through the pages, finding a page, any page, and began reading. Soon after, he heard the door open and without looking directly at Rose, he peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was wearing she shortest shorts imaginable and a form fitting t-shirt. As she walked to the bed, he could see her breasts bounce and he was fairly certain that she wasn’t wearing a bra. This was going to kill him, did she know that?

She slipped under the covers and although the bed was large, she felt so close. She leaned over, “what are you reading?”

He closed the book, showing her the cover, “Charles Dickens.” He smiled with pride as he opened the book back to his page and continued reading.

“Oh,” Rose said sounding surprised.

John stopped reading and looked at Rose, slightly offended. “What do you mean, oh?”

“I’m sorry,” Rose said as she rolled on her side and propped her head up on her hand. “It’s just so…classic. I thought you would be reading something more like Tom Clancy.”

“Nah,” he said, finding his smile again. “I grew up on Dickens, I like the classics.” He turned his attention back on the book and Rose stayed in her position. John felt her staring when he glanced back, “do you like Dickens?”

“Yeah,” Rose nodded, “I think, I only read ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and that’s because it was for school. I watched a Christmas Carol and I liked that too.”

“Well, you know what they say, the book is better than the movie,” John teased. “Dickens wrote lots of stories but people only focus on a small few.”

“So which one is that?” she asked.

“It’s a collection of ghost stories,” his enthusiasm radiated as he spoke. “Some of my favorites.”

“Are they scary,” she asked.

“Not in your modern sense. It is very disturbing though.” He looked back at the words on the page once again, noting her silence and the fact that she was still not moving from her position. Unsure what to say, or do, next he asked, “do you want me to read one?”

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise, the thought of him reading to her was not only comforting but also romantic. She wasn’t sure if that was the angle he was trying for, but it was very appealing to her. “Sure,” she told him cheerfully.

His grin widened as he began flipping through the book, “here we go, ‘The Signalman.’ It’s always been a favorite of mine.” He began to read, his right hand holding the book and his free had resting on his stomach. Rose inched closer and laid her head on his shoulder while taking his free hand in hers. She could have blamed it on the alcohol in her system for making her seem more affectionate, but John just made her feel comfortable and it just felt right.

John didn’t flinch when she touched him nor did he question her action, he just accepted it as he continued to read. It wasn’t long before that free arm found itself wrapped around Rose, as she cuddled against him. Her head now rested on his chest as she continued listening to him read mixed with the sound of his heartbeat under her ear. Although she did find the story fascinating, she couldn’t help but doze off in his arms. In this moment, she truly felt safe.

John lowered his voice and continued reading, although he was aware that Rose was no longer fully awake. He read all the way to the end and when he finished, she did not stir. Unsure of what to do next, he gently put the book down on the bedside table and settled down into the bed, careful not to wake her. Without the distraction of the story, he was now more focused on the feel of Rose’s body against his and he breathed in the scent of her hair. She let out a small sigh and began to move, John frowned because he didn’t want her to pull away. To his surprise, even in her sleep state, she reached across him and wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed herself, tightly, into him.

John couldn’t control the smile on his face as he looked down at her, wishing he could freeze time and stay in this moment forever. He continued to watch her and could almost feel a band tightening around his heart and John knew, at that moment, he was in trouble.


	26. Leaving Mexico

The next morning John woke when he felt Rose begin to stir. She was still cuddled against him and his arms held her close. He loosened his grip on her as she slowly pulled away, making him groan out loud which he didn’t mean to. Rose giggled at his small protest and he opened his eyes to see her smiling at him. Even with her hair a mess and sleep still in her eyes, she looked beautiful.

“Hi,” she told him shyly. She didn’t even remember falling asleep the night before, let alone cuddled with him.

“Hi,” he repeated back in a gentile tone. He kept staring at her, the sunlight coming in through the window almost made her glow. She was too perfect and he wanted to wake up like this forever.

As he stared at her, Rose felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry for…,” she pointed at the small space that she occupied all night.

John looked to where she pointed, as if he would see something, “nah, it’s alright. You dozed off and seemed so comfortable, I didn’t want to wake you.”

“I don’t even remember falling asleep,” she tried to think back but the memory was hazy. “It couldn’t have been too comfortable for you though.”

“Believe me, I’ve slept through far worse,” John immediately wanted to slap himself. He just made a perfect night sound like anything but.

“Oh,” Rose’s face changed to a slight frown. She paused then changed the subject. “Well, I’m just going to take a quick shower, if that’s ok.”

John nodded and watched her climb out of the bed, forgetting about how she was dressed. Those shorts left very little to the imagination and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He watched her hips sway with each step and when she stopped midway to bend over and pick up her bag he could barely stop himself from growling.

As soon as she closed the door his hand immediately came up and smacked over his face. “Of all the things you could have said…,” he mumbled to himself angerily. He sat up and noticed his next problem, his swollen cock left a very noticeable bulge in his pants and worried if Rose saw that too, what would she think of him? He closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths, hoping to contain his…excitement. He again scolded himself for his perverted thoughts while he climbed out of bed and slipped his boots on. He then left the room to find Alejandro because he knew if he heard Rose in the shower, the images in his head would drive him mad.

 

* * *

 

Once Rose shut the door she leaned her back against it and rubbed her hands over her eyes, upset with herself. Although her memories from the previous night were a bit foggy, she could still remember them. She remembered her playful touches at the dinner table and how she was practically on top of John before she fell asleep. She looked down at herself and what she was wearing, wondering what impression that left on him. All that hard work of trying to improve their friendship ruined in one night. She then heard John moving and the door open and close as he left the room.

She sighed and turned on the shower, undressed and stepped in. The water was a perfect warmth as she stood under the powerful spary. As she washed up, she wondered how she was going to fix their friendship again. Should she even mention it? She worried that he would shut her out like he did last time, or worse, what if he just sends her away? She won’t let that happen, she promised herself.

She finished quickly and dried off, then she pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, much more modest than before. She stepped out into the bedroom and found that John was definitely gone, not a good sign considering how he acted the last time. She strolled over to the bed and smoothed out the bedspread before sitting down. She glanced over at the book that John had left at the table and the corners of her mouth curled as she thought back on the beautiful moment, even if he didn’t think so. She picked up the aged book and flipped back to the story he was reading to her. She really did enjoy it but her tiredness won her over so she never heard the end. She found the last spot that she could remember and decided to see how it ends before she emerged to face John again.

 

* * *

 

In the kitchen, Alejandro was seated at the table, eating breakfast with two of his men. When John walked in, the two men excused themselves and Alejandro invited John to join him. John sat and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

“Did you sleep well?” Alejandro asked.

“Very,” John smiled. “I can’t remember the last time I slept so well.”

“Wild night?” Alejandro smiled mischievously.

“It was pleasant,” John told him. “Anyway, is there any new information on van Statten?”

“Ah, right to business.” Alejandro laughed. “There is some new information, actually. Turns out that contact that he met and traveled to Durango with is an old friend of yours.”

John raised an eyebrow, “who?”

“Harold Saxon”

John felt his heart sink upon hearing the sound of his childhood friend’s name. “Any idea why?”

“They are trying to start something. Whatever it is, they are keeping it quiet, I doubt it’s good knowing Saxon’s reputation.”

John nodded, his mind elsewhere. Harold Saxon is a dangerous man and if he continued to follow van Statten it was more than likely that he would find Saxon as well. He then worried about Rose around a man like that.

“I have a car you can use, and the roads are clear again.” Alejandro said, bringing John’s attention back to him.

John nodded, “thanks,

John stood from the table and headed back to the room that he shared with Rose. His feet felt heavy as his mind lingered on the previous night and how Rose made him feel. He stopped at the door, looking at it, not ready to go in. As much as he didn’t want to, he came to the decision that maybe it was time to let Rose go home while he followed van Statten on his own.

He really didn’t want Rose to encounter Harold Saxon if he was really there. He had been after John for a long time and he would gladly use Rose against him if he got the chance. He also thought it was a good idea considering how his feelings for her seem to be shifting, maybe some distance would set his mind straight.

He took a deep breath and opened the door to find Rose showered, dressed, and sitting on the bed, reading his book from the night before. She sheepishly smiled at him, “sorry, I just wanted to see how it ends before I came out.”

His heart melted at the sight, “it’s fine, I’ve been in that same position many times before.” He shut the door behind him and sat down on the bed beside her.

She handed him the book, “I might borrow this later, some of those stories look fascinating. Any new information on van Statten?”

“Actually, yeah, there is,” John stood up and put his book back in his duffle then turned to face Rose. “I know you aren’t going to like this, but I think it would be best if you go home. Just for the holidays.”

“What?” Rose cried out, springing to her feet. “Why?” She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, this is exactly what she feared.

John sighed, he couldn’t even look at her and instead focused on a spot on the floor. “This man that he met up with is dangerous, more dangerous than anyone I know.”

“So, you are going to just do it alone?” Rose argued.

“It’s better than putting you in danger.” He told her back.

Rose turned away, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. “Are you going to come back, or are you just going to leave me behind once I’m gone.”

“I would never leave you behind, Rose.” He told her sincerely, “I just need you to trust me on this. Besides, don’t you want to be with family for Christmas?”

He had a point, it wouldn’t be fair to her Mum if she didn’t come home. Leaving John didn’t seem right either. “How about you? Don’t you have family to be with?”

“Nah, it’s just me,” he told her shrugging it off.

“Nobody at all?” she asked again.

He shook his head solemnly, he didn’t want to go into details right now.

“Oh,” Rose said glumly. She could see in his eyes that there was loneliness that he kept hidden. “There’s always me…” she added shyly, hoping he understood that he didn’t have to always be alone.

A smile crept across his face and he felt his heart aching for her.

“I mean…” Rose continued, trying to fill the lingering silence. “If you want, you can spend Christmas with me, at my place.”

John couldn’t remember the last time he spent a Christmas with anybody, he usually treated it like any other day. Rose’s offer was tempting but he really did need to try and track down these men. “Maybe, let’s see how this search goes.”

 

* * *

 

John had Rose at the airport by lunchtime, making her feel like he was trying to get rid of her quickly. She also knew that he wanted to begin his search so she didn’t take it too personally.

“Do you have anyone to pick you up when you come in?” John asked as he walked with Rose into the airport.

Rose shook her head, “I was hoping to surprise Mum.”

“I’ll call Jack, he can come and get you.” John came to a stop outside security, feeling awkward about saying goodbye. “Well…I assume you know where to go from here.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty self-explanatory,” Rose faked a laugh.

There was a long pause as they both stared around, not sure what to say or do next. Rose didn’t want to leave him and part of her still worried that she would never see him again. “I’ll miss you,” she mumbled out.

John grumbled and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “Nah, I’m sure you’ve grown tired of this daft old face.”

“I like your face,” Rose told him before she buried her face into his chest.

They held each other for a moment before John gave her a final squeeze and breathed in her scent one last time. He let her go and started backing away, knowing he had to leave now before he embarrassed himself. “I’ll be back before you know it, then you’ll remember what a pain in the arse I am. Just you wait, Rose Tyler.”

Rose laughed, no longer able to hide the tears that were escaping. She had no more words, she waved and started walking away. John stopped and watched Rose leave, each step taking her further away from him. He wanted to follow her, give her a proper goodbye, and kiss her. Oh, he wanted to kiss her. She looked back at him one last time, giving him a weak smile, before she disappeared completely.

John didn’t move from his spot for several minutes, hoping she would come back but knowing if she did, he would tell her to turn around. This was for her own good, he reminded himself, so why did it feel wrong? He’s had women in his life before, what was it about Rose that made her different? Whatever it was, John couldn’t wait to find out.


	27. Back in London

Rose’s plane landed in London the next morning. The flight felt longer than usual and she couldn’t sleep at all. She missed John and worried about him being alone, which was silly because he has been alone long before she met him. What really worried her was how dangerous was this man he was going after, considering the things that she has already done with him.

After she got off the plane, she saw Jack waiting outside, just as John had promised. He smiled widely as she approached then picked her up and spun her around in a tight hug. He set her down and Rose laughed, “I’m glad to see you too,” she joked.

“Well, this is an airport, you need to make a scene,” he said as he took her bag from her and led her away. As they walked to his car they made small talk about her flight, then once they got in and started driving he filled her in on what was happening at home while she was gone. He never mentioned John once and neither did she. Not that she was trying to forget him, but she thought if she did right now, she would start to cry again and maybe Jack knew that too.

They pulled up and parked outside the Powell Estate, it felt odd being home again after what she has seen. She climbed the stairs and Jack followed her up while carrying her bag. She stopped outside her door and looked at him, “you think I should knock or just go in?”

Jack smiled, stepped around her then knocked in a playful melody. Inside Rose heard Jackie moving around and yelling out the door, “what now Jack? It’s only eight in the morning!” Rose laughed and wondered how often Jack bothered her mum while she was away.

The door swung open and Jackie was ready to give Jack an earful by the look on her face. Jack stood there smiling and blurted out, “special delivery,” and pointed at Rose. Jackie’s face looked relieved as she pulled Rose into her arms, hugging tightly. Rose hugged her back and they shared a private moment before Jackie brought her inside, inviting Jack as well.

Jackie looked out the door to double check, “so, where’s himself, then?”

“He stayed behind,” Rose said taking a breath to regain her composure.

“So, he takes you away and sends you home once he gets tired of you?” Jackie snapped.

“No,” Rose answered quickly, “he has his hands full and thought I should come home for the holidays.”

“So, you’re leaving again?” Jackie cried.

“Not right now,” Rose inhaled, swallowing her next words. She looked at Jack who stood between them awkwardly then back to her mum, “can we just enjoy our time together?”

Jackie smiled, “ok, how about some breakfast?”

Rose smiled back, “I’d like that,” and walked to the kitchen, followed by Jack. They took a seat at the small kitchen table as Jackie bustled around the kitchen. “So, how has everything been?” Rose asked.

“Well,” Jackie started, “Beth’s sister is seeing this new bloke…”

“No, mum,” Rose cut her off, laughing, “I mean with you, how have you been?”

“Oh,” Jackie considered the question for a moment, “ok, I suppose. I haven’t been seeing anyone new and I still have the same job.” She paused as she started plating some toast, “Mickey has been by a few times, he didn’t know you were leaving or who you were with. I wasn’t sure what to tell him, I just said you would explain when you came home.”

Jack looked at Rose surprised and Rose sighed. She never called him before she left and she never answered his calls after she was gone. She didn’t know what she was going to tell him and now she doubted he would ever speak to her again. “I’ll call him later,” Rose glanced at her mum who wasn’t believing her. “I will, I just…can I just have a day to settle in?”

“If you don’t call him tomorrow, I will.” She wagged the spatula in her hand at Rose, “I’m tired of lying to him, he deserves the truth.”

Rose glanced over at Jack and he mouthed, “the truth?” and Rose shook her head to answer his question. “Ok, I’ll call him first thing tomorrow.” Jackie looked back at her, not believing her. “I will,” Rose told her.

The tension in the room was growing and Jack was caught in the middle. “So, Mrs. Tyler…” he yelled out, getting her attention. “Any big plans for the New Year?” Rose looked at him confused, that was nearly three weeks away. He looked back at her and shrugged, he just wanted to change the subject before it got heated again.

Jackie turned back around, pan in hand, and started serving eggs and sausage. “I haven’t thought about it, I didn’t know if Rose was going to be here or not.”

“Of course, I was,” Rose moaned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” Jackie continued as joined them at the table and began spreading jam on some toast. “You meet some man one day and run off with him the next, I don’t know what to expect anymore.”

“Mum…” Rose said, and took a deep breath before she said something she shouldn’t. “I wouldn’t leave you alone during the holidays, John wouldn’t let me either.”

“Hmm,” Jackie took a bite of toast, considering what Rose said. “So, he tells you what to do and what not to do, does he?”

Jack sat quietly at the table, sipping his coffee, watching the two back and forth. His diversion did not work.

“No, mum, he doesn’t tell me to do anything. He’s a good man, if you would just give him a chance.” Rose looked at Jack, “tell her,” she insisted.

Jack opened his mouth but, before he could mutter a word, Jackie snapped, “how can I? I only met him for two minutes before you ran off with him to God knows where.”

“I told you where I was the whole time,” Rose snapped back.

“What if you didn’t? What if you disappeared again, like you did last time, leaving me to sit here and wonder where you were and if you are ok?” The last words came out in a sob as Jackie covered her face with her hands.

Rose rushed to Jackie’s side, pulling her into a hug. “No mum, I would never do that to you again, I’m sorry.” Rose felt a tear roll down her cheek as she held her mother close, “John is a very good man and he would never let anything happen to me.” She glanced back at Jack who was still sipping his coffee while watching, looking somewhat uncomfortable in this situation. She gave him a smile and he winked back then he turned his interest to his breakfast.

Jackie pulled back and wiped her eyes then smiled back at Rose, “I know, sweetie. Jack keeps telling me the same thing, but I’m your mother and I will always worry.”

Rose nodded sadly and sat back in her chair. She felt terrible for putting her mum in this position.

 

* * *

 

 

After their uncomfortable morning, the rest of the day was pleasant. Jack hung around until noon and helped Rose unpack while she told him about all the things she and John did that she couldn’t tell Jackie. If she worried about Rose before, how would she feel if she learned that her daughter had to leap off a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at night time to avoid being killed. Jack, on the other hand, loved hearing about it.

He leaned his shoulder against her wall, watching her as she talked and unpacked. “Boy I miss those days.”

Rose looked over at him puzzled, “You don’t do that anymore? I thought you did.”

“Nah,” Jack shook his head. “I did when I was younger. Now I work at Torchwood, here in London."

“Is that how you met John, when you were traveling around like he does?”

“You can say that,” he smirked. “When I was a kid, about nineteen and living in America, John caught me trying to con him out of some money.” He laughed at Rose’s stunned expression, “I know, not too smart, but back then I thought I was untouchable, I had no idea who I was dealing with. Long story short, he took me under his wing, kind of like you, and he showed me how to put my skills to better use.”

“I thought he liked to work alone?” Rose said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“Oh, he does,” Jack said, noting the change in her tone. “He might pick up a person or two along the way, see what they can do then find a better place for them. I didn’t last more than a week before he brought me here and introduced me to the team at Torchwood and I’m still here, eight years later.”

“What do you do there?” She was curious but she also worried that John was planning on dumping her off somewhere as well.

“Well, sometimes I help with local cases but, I mostly help the tech side of the company. You know that little pen he carries that can knock a guy out cold? I helped develop that, I gave it to him a year after I started there. Kind of a way to say thank you for saving me from the life I use to live.”

Rose nodded, wordlessly. Her mind was still focused on her future with John, or lack of one.

Jack stared at her as her head was obviously in the clouds. “He told you he was coming back?”

“Yeah,” Rose answered quickly.

“Then he will, he’s a man of his word. Besides, he told me the same thing, so no need to worry.”

“I never…” Rose began to explain her sudden glumness.

“No need to,” Jack said smiling at the glowing in her cheeks. “You’ve been with him for how long now, two, three weeks?” He watched Rose nod subtly. “If he wanted to send you away he would have told you by now. Most people barely last a few days before he pushes them off on someone else.” He saw Rose holding back a smile. “He likes you, I think you’re his favorite,” he teased.

“Stop it,” Rose laughed out, embarrassed, and threw a stuffed bear at him.

Jack swatted the bear away, “hey, I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

“He hasn’t had any long term…er…companions?” Rose asked while looking down at her feet.

“Like women?” Jack shook his head, not really. “I mean, he’s been in a couple of relationships but they didn’t last. They didn’t like his line of work and wanted him to settle down, buy a house, you know, stuff like that.”

“Oh,” Rose nodded. She was a little jealous, thinking of John with anyone else but, who was she to judge his past? “He doesn’t seem like the type to do that, settle down.”

“That’s why you’re different,” he pointed at her, “you can see that about him. I don’t think John knows how to sit still, he’s been living like this almost his whole life.”

“How come? What keeps him going?”

“No idea,” Jack shrugged. “If you noticed, he keeps a lot of things private. Maybe he’ll open up to you, since you are so, how did he say it...fantastic.” His smile spread wide when he saw Rose look away bashfully.

He enjoyed watching her smile, it was no surprise to him that John took such an interest in her. She was beautiful, exciting, and from what he remembered, fearless. Just being in her presence was astonishing. He almost regretted not getting to know her before John did, but it was too late. She was John’s girl now, regardless what either of them said or let themselves believe.

* * *

 

After Jack went home Rose spent the remainder of the day with Jackie. They watched a movie and she told her all about the leading man who she met at the fund raiser in Los Angeles with John. She also told her about the many other familiar faces she saw there, with pictures to prove it. Jackie was amazed, she wouldn’t believe her if she didn’t see it for herself. She also noticed John nearby in almost every photo, keeping a watchful eye on Rose.

After the movie, they sat together as Rose continued telling her about the cruise, Hawaii and Mexico, leaving out some details, of course. Rose flipped through photos, showing her the friends she made along the way, including Adam, even if he wasn’t the greatest friend.

Rose let out a long yawn and Jackie patted her on the back. “It’s getting late and I know you must be beyond tired by now. Why don’t you head off to bed, maybe tomorrow we could go shopping or just eat out.”

Rose hugged her and said goodnight, then slumped to her bedroom. Her eyes were heavy and she knew that once her head hit the pillow she would be out. She pulled off her jeans and didn’t even bother putting anything else on and just climbed under the covers. Her bed never felt more comfortable and she snuggled under her blanket, ready to drift off. That’s when her phone rang.

She blinked her eyes, wondering if she imagined it and then it rang again. Fearing it was Mickey, hearing about her return from somebody, she reluctantly picked up her cell and glanced at the screen, shocked to see that it was John. She jumped up into a sitting position, finding her last bit of strength and answered it. She paused briefly before saying “hello,” hoping not to sound as eager as she was.

She paused too long though when she heard John on the other end, “Rose?”

“Yeah…I’m here…sorry,” she wished she was a little more alert for this call. Her mind was not very sharp right now.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you? I couldn’t get signal on my phone all day so I couldn’t call earlier.” There was a lot of noise in the background.

“No, you didn’t, not yet at least. I was just getting into bed now.” She told him, hoping he could hear her with all that noise. “Where are you?”

“I’m in a market, it’s the only place I’ve found where I could get my phone to work. Sorry if it’s noisy.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice, she closed her eyes and tried to picture it.

“No, it’s fine,” she told him. There was a pause between them before Rose continued, “how are you?”

It was silent on his end, aside from the background noise, then he spoke, “I’m fine, Rose.” There was another pause, “it’s a little boring, doing this alone…” He paused yet again, maybe it was her imagination but it seemed like he was shy, or nervous. She heard him inhale deeply, “how about you, did your flight go well? Was your mum surprised?”

“Yeah,” Rose smiled and it was evident to him as well, that she was grinning, even if he couldn’t see her. “I mean, the flight was long, but it went well and Jack was there to get me like you said.” She heard his breath stop for a moment when she mentioned Jack. “Don’t worry, he behaved himself,” she smirked and wondered why she felt the need to verify that to him.

“I never said…” he began, “I wasn’t worried about Jack,” he lied.

“Sorry, I’m just tired,” Rose giggled, “anyway, yeah, my mum was very surprised but, happy to see me.”

“Hmph,” John laughed out, silently. There was another pause, longer than the others before he spoke up. “So, I was just checking in, just in case you were worried about me.”

“Thanks,” Rose said quietly, “I was a little curious, I’ll probably sleep better now. What time is it there anyway?”

“Uh, just past noon I think.” She heard rustling on his end as he looked down at the phone to check the time. “Yeah, almost one now, I think. Sometimes the time on this thing malfunctions.”

“You should get a watch,” she teased.

“Yeah, probably,” he laughed. He then stretched, making a loud groan on her end, successfully popping his back in the process then he let out a satisfied sigh.

“Is everything ok,” she asked.

“Yeah,” he grinned at her tone, “I slept in that little car last night. There weren’t a lot of hotels to stop at.”

“Oh, sorry. That couldn’t have been pleasant, but I’m sure it was better than having me drooling on your chest.”

He laughed loudly and Rose felt her stomach flutter, she never heard him laugh like that especially at something she said. “Oh, Rose Tyler, if only you were there…”

Rose’s breath caught in her throat, she was way too tired for this conversation because if she didn’t know any better she would swear he just made a pass at her.

On John’s end, he held his breath, waiting for a response. He didn’t expect to say what he was thinking, the words just spilled out.

There was a long silence on both ends as neither of them knew what to say next, both still in shock at his words. “I’m sorry,” Rose began, “I didn’t sleep at all on the plane and I stayed up all day with my mum. I think that the tiredness is taking over, because I thought you said…nevermind.”

“No worries, Rose, get some sleep and I’ll call you later.” He tried not to sound disappointed, but a part of him was.

Rose yawned, “ok.”

“Goodnight Rose,” he told her quietly.

“Bye John,” she waited a moment then blurted out, “I miss you,” before she hung up. She was too tired to feel embarrassed, she can deal with those feelings later. She laid back down and was asleep within seconds with John’s voice still fresh in her mind.

Back in Mexico, John stood at the center of the crowded market still looking at the phone in his hand. He brushed his thumb gently across Rose’s name on the phone screen and smiled. She missed him, he heard her say it. That was the motivation he needed to push forward and work harder at finding these men.


	28. Chapter 28

Jackie’s voice woke Rose up the next morning as she gossiped on the phone, just like she always did. It was a pleasant reminder of where she was as she opened her eyes, blinking at the bright light. She looked at her clock and it was already after nine in the morning. She never thought she would think that nine was late, before meeting John her mum had to practically drag her out of bed if she didn’t have anywhere to be.

She pulled on her dressing gown and padded out to the kitchen to make some coffee. Jackie waved at her happily, glad to see that she was awake, and ended her call. “You’re up early,” she said, “do you want some pancakes?”

Rose nodded at her question and watched Jackie pull out a pan. “Mum, its nearly ten. Why did you let me sleep so late?”

“You were exhausted,” Jackie said, “no sense in forcing you to wake up early if you have nowhere to go.”

The coffee finished brewing and Rose poured a cup for each of them, handing one to Jackie and kissed her on the cheek. “Do you still want to go out shopping today?”

“Only if you do,” Jackie told her and looked back at her, smiling.

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t have a lot of money, but it will be nice to spend the day with you.”

“Well, I can pay for lunch, no worries there.” Jackie said and handed Rose a plate with three pancakes. “Doesn’t John pay you for your work? What is it that you do for him?” Jackie looked at Rose, expecting an answer.

Rose laughed, “I’m not sure what you would call it.” She watched Jackie shift uncomfortably in her seat and Rose laughed again, “it’s not anything you may be thinking. I’ll just say I’m an intern or something.”

“Hmm,” Jackie said then crossed her arms, “and what kind of money does an intern make?”

Rose looked down at her food, poking it with her fork as she thought about what her mum asked. She never really considered the money, she didn’t really feel like she was working. Aside from her time on the ship, when she actually was working. She then considered how much money John spent on her, the first class tickets, the suites, the dress, everything. Not to mention, the places he took her and the experiences she had. She couldn’t put a price on it.

She just shrugged, “I don’t know,” and kept staring at her food.

“He isn’t paying you?”

“Well, he’s given me money when I needed it but he also spends so much on me, I never thought to ask for more. He pays for everything, anything I want is provided.”

Jackie pursed her lips, “this doesn’t sound like a job. It sounds more like you have a sugar daddy.”

“Mum!” Rose cried, “it’s nothing like that, he’s a perfect gentleman.”

“I never said he wasn’t, Rose.” Jackie stared at her, seeing that she was uncomfortable. She knew Rose and knew that this conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere. Avoiding another argument, she stood and began cleaning the mess from breakfast. “I’m going to shower and get ready so we can leave.” She dried her hands on a towel and put it on the counter. “I also think you should call Mickey too,” and she left the room.

Rose was still quiet as she finished eating and cleaned her own plate. She thought about calling Mickey, she really did, but she still didn’t know what to say. She went back to her room, picked up her cell and stared at it. She sighed and dropped it on the bed, opting on get dressed first and think about what she would tell him.

After getting dressed, fixing her hair and applying her makeup, her mind was still blank. Then she saw her mum was ready to go and she decided that call could wait a few more hours. She put the phone in her pocket and followed Jackie out.

* * *

 

They had an amazing afternoon together. They browsed the shops, ate lunch at her favorite restaurant, and walked around some more. Even with very little money, they had a great time, but they always did. Rose cherished the relationship she had with her mum, they never needed money to be happy. They walked into a small shop that sold spices and Rose watched her mum get chatted up by a rather handsome older man.

Smiling at the two Rose excused herself and told her mum she would be back in ten minutes. Jackie nodded and waved, not taking her attention away from the man that she was now giving her full attention to. Rose stepped back outside and looked around for somewhere to go and wait while her mum finished flirting. Her eyes settled on the coffee shop across the street, the one where she and David spent many days talking, studying, kissing…She felt her heart ache a little, a small part of her would probably always be with him, but she told herself it was time to let go of the past.

A cold wind blew and she shivered, hot coffee seemed more appealing to her now. She crossed the street and stepped into the shop. The scent of the fresh brewing coffee, the noise from the espresso machine, even the overhead music flooded her mind with memories. She looked at their table, now occupied by another young couple that Rose hoped had a better shot than she did with David. She approached the register and ordered her usual drink then stood to the side to wait.

She felt like she was in high school again, waiting for David to walk through the door so they could work on their homework. The music changed to another familiar track and the barista next to her began frothing milk noisily. Rose closed her eyes and listened to the low murmur of coffee patrons, remembering a simpler time in her life when all that mattered was school and David. She could still hear his voice as if he were still with her.

“Rose?”

Her eyes snapped open, that wasn’t her imagination, and she nearly sunk to the floor when she saw David standing right in front of her, he was almost as shocked as she was. “David? Hi,” she waved awkwardly and she prayed that she wasn’t going crazy.

“Hey,” he said back, his smile grew three times wider and Rose forgot how his smile made her knees weak.

Rose didn’t speak, this still felt like she was hallucinating. She tried not to look obvious as she eyed him up and down. He wore a white t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans. Since it was winter, he also wore a black, heavy, wool jacket and scarf. Her eyes crept further down his body and yep, there they were, blue chucks. She laughed quietly and dragged her eyes back up to meet his.

He sucked in a breath when he saw her smile again and stared at her with astonishment. His mouth hung open as he tried to remember how to speak. Seeing her still smiling, the corner of his mouth twitched and he was grinning again. Nobody could trigger his smile like Rose Tyler did, there was no denying it.

They were both so lost in the moment that neither of them heard their orders being called. The barista tapped Rose on the shoulder making her jolt and spin around. He put her cup in front of her, “Rose,” then he looked at David, held a cup out to him, “David.”

“Thanks, mate,” David said while taking the cup then looked back at Rose. “Uh, do you have a minute?”

Rose glance across the street and she could see her mum now sitting on a small sofa at the front of the shop, still pre-occupied with the same man as before.

“Yeah, I think I do.” She looked back at him and he led her to a small table in the corner. She sat down, feeling a bit uncomfortable and she watched him take the seat across from her.

He took a sip, not taking his eyes off her as he did. His gaze was intense, Rose felt vulnerable and that frightened her. “So,” he began, “how are you?’

“Good,” she told him, nodding along as she said it. “Very good, actually. How about you?”

“Not bad,” he told her then he swallowed, nervously.

Rose watched his adam’s apple bob as he did. She couldn’t block out the image in her head, flashing back to the days when she would plant kisses down his throat, feeling that movement under her lips. Warmth spread across her cheeks and she looked away, her mind wandered back to John. Is this cheating on him, she asked herself. Of course it wasn’t, they weren’t even a couple, were they? No, they weren’t, besides, she was just talking, nothing more.

“Rose?” David called somewhat loudly and Rose snapped back to attention.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” she said, quickly.

“I said, what have you been up to lately?” He took another sip and looked at her. He was nervous but tried not to show it.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Rose said and gave him a mischievous smile. She felt a surge of power unlike anything she felt before. She looked into his eyes and saw right through his act, he wasn’t calm and casual, he was terrified. They may have broken up a couple years ago, but Rose could still read him like a book.

David watched Rose take a sip, she sat tall and confident, not like the Rose he knew in high school. Still, she thrilled him, more so than before. “Ok, try me,” he grinned softly, “tell me something unbelievable.”

“Well,” she placed her hands on the table and leaned forward, he mimed her action and leaned forward as well, his face just inches from hers. “I’ve been traveling the world with a mysterious man and we hunt down criminals and solve crimes.”

They held still, briefly, staring into each other’s eyes when Rose noticed the corner of David’s mouth twitch then he sputtered out a laugh which he failed at holding in. He saw the frown on her face and said, “sorry.” He sat back in his chair at studied her face, wondering what she was hiding.

Rose smirked, “I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”

David shook his head, refusing to accept it as truth.

Sensing that he wasn’t going to believe her, and she actually didn’t care. “How about you? What has David Noble been up to these days?”

Her voice was low, giving him a chill. “Same old life, school, study, work and sleep.” He smiled, “not as exciting as being a secret agent.”

He was teasing her and she didn’t appreciate it. It’s one thing to not believe her, but making fun of her words was another.

“You think I’m lying,” she asked abruptly.

“No, not at all,” he said as he straightened in his chair. “It’s just a big jump, considering you have no A levels.”

Rose gripped her cup tightly, holding back her anger. “Have you been checking up on me? Why do you care if I finished school or not?”

“I’m not, Rose…,” he began and she held up a hand, cutting him off.

“I’m sorry that I can’t go into details with you, it’s private and all. I don’t need my A levels because I found a man who thinks I’m brilliant.”

“I’ve always told you that you were brilliant. Rose…,” he tried again, and Rose stopped him again.

“He doesn’t have to tell me that I’m brilliant, he makes me feel that way and I believe it. He needs me, he relies on me and most of all, he trusts me. So, I’m sorry if you don’t believe me but frankly, I don’t care because I’m happy. John and I are happy…together.” Rose sat back, her chest heaving as she regained her composure. It felt good, considering how he left her crying at that fountain the day he broke up with her. She made something of herself and she didn’t need him in her life to do it.

David’s eyes were wide, this is a whole new side of Rose that he had never seen before. Why couldn’t he ever get a reaction out of her like that before, what made her change? He glanced away, suddenly his life at Oxford seemed mediocre, even if she was making this whole thing up. How could he top that, it’s impossible. So, what could he say now? He fidgeted, trying to think, and the more the thought, the dumber her felt. Finally, he blurted out, “I’ve been seeing someone.” He watched Rose’s expression, hoping for shock, a frown, some hint of disappointment. “…it’s kind of serious.”

Instead of a frown, Rose gently smiled, “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” he told her, feeling ashamed. He stared at her, wondering what to say next when he saw her eyes dart to the window behind him.

“Looks like my mum is finally done over there,” she giggled and flashed him a smile that could make his heart shatter. She stood up from her seat and David felt remorse creeping up his spine. He should say something now, before it’s too late.

“I guess I’ll see you around, yeah?” She began walking away, giving him a short wave goodbye and then she was out the door. Finally springing to his feet, he realized it was too late, she was already across the road. He sat back down and groaned at what he just said, he wasn’t in a relationship. He hasn’t even dated anyone because nobody could compare to Rose. The guilt in his stomach squeezed uncomfortably, he never should have let her slip through his fingers in the first place.

 Rose walked back to Jackie with extra bounce in her step. “Look at you, what’s got you all chipper,” Jackie called out to her.

“Nothing, just in a good mood I guess.” Rose told her, she didn’t feel the need to tell her the whole story. “How about you,” Rose nudged Jackie playfully. “Do you have a date for New Year’s?”


	29. Chapter 29

Three days passed since Rose saw David in the coffee shop, Christmas was under a week away, and she hadn’t gotten a call from John since that first night. Rose laid in her bed that morning, wide awake, but not in the mood to get up. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do now. She spent time with her mum, helped around the house, and she still never called Mickey, not that she didn’t want to.

Jackie also continued to nag her about her money situation. It was fine when she was with John and he paid for everything, but now she had no money, no job, and no John to help her out. He told her he didn’t know when he was going to be back, what if it took weeks or months? What if he never came back at all? Did she need to get a job, because right now that seemed like the best idea.

Forcing herself out of bed, Rose got dressed and decided to think about it over breakfast. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw a familiar face.

“Hey Rosie,” Jack said happily as he sat at the table with her mum.

“Hey Jack,” Rose said back and stood in the doorway.

He stood up and excused himself for a moment, then led Rose back to her room so he could talk to her.

Rose felt nervous, what was so important that he had to come to her in person. “What’s going on?” Rose sat on the edge of her bed, prepared for the worst then Jack handed her a large, thick, envelope. “What’s this,” she asked as she looked at it, afraid to open it.

“Well, John called me a few of days ago, and asked me to give you that,” he nodded toward the envelope in her hand.

Rose looked down at it, still nervous as she fiddled with the paper, her hands shaking.

“Oh, just open it already,” Jack playfully yelled.

Rose smiled as her nervousness subsided as she opened the envelope and peeked inside. Rose’s jaw dropped and she looked at Jack speechless. “Why?” she barely choked out.

Jack laughed at her reaction, “did you really think you weren’t going to get paid?”

Rose’s brows drew together, confused. “This is too much,” she choked out, “I didn’t even do anything.”

“Of course you did,” Jack told her. “It was you who helped us locate and take down an entire weapons operation and a very wanted man. Then you discovered Casandra’s plot back in America, saving people thousands, maybe millions. Not to mention everything you did on that cruise ship that lead to the discovery and arrests they made. With all of that together, I’m starting to feel like you should get more.”

Rose shook her head, “no, Jack. Thank you.”

Jack smiled at her and watched her put the money away in the envelope, “has he called you?”

Rose shook her head sadly, “just the first night I was here, I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Me either,” Jack said, “only the other day when he asked me to give you that.”

“Do you think he’s ok?”

Jack sat on the bed next to her and put his arm around her, “no doubt about it. He’s probably just having phone problems, it happens sometimes.”

Rose laid her head on his shoulder and nodded. “I hope that’s all it is.”

Jack squeezed her gently, “how about you take that money and go buy yourself something nice, and tonight I can take you out dancing.”

Rose looked up at him, “can my friend Amy come too?” Rose didn’t want Jack to feel like this was a date.

“Sure,” he said, “the more the merrier,” and stood up. “I have to get to work now, how does eight o’clock sound?”

Rose nodded, “yeah, eight’s fine.” She watched Jack leave and immediately called Amy.

 

* * *

 

“So, who is this mystery man?” Amy asked Rose playfully at lunch that afternoon, after Rose explained her sudden disappearance.

“He’s just John, I guess.”

“Just John?” Amy looked amused, “he must be something to make you run off with him on a whim, and all the way to America no less.”

“It wasn’t a whim,” Rose told her, “he sorta hired me, like an intern, or an assistant.”

“Assisting him how?” Amy asked suspiciously. Her eyebrows shot up and she whispered, “are you an escort?”

“NO!” Rose laughed, “I wish I could explain it better but, it’s kind of private.”

“Mhm,” Amy tsked, “are you sleeping with him?”

“Amy!” Rose said, stunned, then lowered her voice, “no I’m not sleeping with him.” Rose paused and turned to her food, her cheeks glowing. “Unless you mean sleeping, nothing more.”

Amy gasped, “please, do tell...” She leaned closer to Rose, and popped a chip in her mouth.

“It’s really nothing, I don’t know why I said it.” Rose huffed and looked at Amy, “we were in Mexico and we got stuck having to share a room.”

“Stuck?” Amy asked suspiciously.

“Yes, neither of us planned on it. He was a gentleman and even offered to sleep on the floor.”

“But you let him sleep in the bed,” Amy finished for her. She smiled at her, “I know you too well, you are too nice to let him sleep on the floor…especially if he’s handsome.”

Rose rolled her eyes but the smile she was sporting told Amy that she was on the right path. “Anyway, yes I did and all we did was sleep. Like I said, he was a gentleman the whole time.”

“Hmm,” Amy looked at Rose and knew there was more. “So, how did you sleep? Did you just lay down on opposite sides, close your eyes, and sleep? Or, was there some conversation?”

“No, not exactly,” Rose didn’t have to look directly at Amy to see the intrigued smile on her face. However, she was still one of her best friend’s and she had to talk to somebody about it. “He read to me, Dickens.” Amy kept smiling, waiting for more. “He read and I laid beside him, listening until I fell asleep…on his chest,” she barely whispered her last three words then quickly took a bite of her sandwich so she had an excuse not to elaborate.

“Oooh, scandalous!” Amy squealed loudly.

“Shhh,” Rose told her, the grin on her face not fading. “Nothing else happened that night.”

“Did you want something to happen,” Amy asked.

“I don’t know…maybe,” Rose saw Amy’s jaw drop at the revelation. “Not that he would, he keeps commenting on my age.”

“How old is he?” Amy looked fascinated.

Rose shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe late thirties if I had to guess, no more than forty.”

“Ooh,” Amy gave a delighted shiver. “This is sounding like a movie, tell me more…”

 

* * *

 

After lunch, Rose and Amy spent the afternoon shopping. Rose found a new outfit to go out in that night, plus something for Amy. While they walked past a jewelry store, a watch ad of a man in a tuxedo, standing waist deep in water, caught her eye. The watch was silver, waterproof, and wasn’t too flashy but could still be classy if needed. Rose could picture John wearing it. Thinking back on all the times she teased John about needing a watch, she couldn’t pass it up. She checked the price, £199, and almost walked away. She looked back in her wallet and knew she had plenty of money now, and then some. Considering all he has done for her and the places he’s taken her to, he deserved it.

Without another thought, Rose went into the shop and asked for the watch, money in hand. Then man at the counter was glad to help Rose, bringing the watch over to her from the display. Rose examined it happily and paid for it, paying extra for engraving, hoping John appreciates the message. That is, if she ever sees him again.

* * *

 

Later that night, Jack walked Rose into the nightclub along with Amy and Rory. She wore a simple black dress and matching heels. She didn’t try too hard, hoping not to give Jack the wrong impression. Even her hair and makeup were subtle.

An hour later Rose was dancing the night away with Amy. She was glad to have the distraction for the night to get her mind off John for a while. When the music slowed, Jack took over, playfully flirting with Rose while they danced. He kept a friendly distance between them and Rose really appreciated having a friend like him.

After a few songs, Rose took a break to get some water. She walked up to the bar when a hand on her arm caught her by surprise. Rose turned, ready to tell whoever it was to sod off when she saw it was Mickey. “Mickey? Hi,” she said nervously.

“Hi?” Mickey snapped, “I haven’t seen or heard from you in weeks and that’s all you have to say?”

Rose felt sick, she wasn’t ready to do this now, but when would she be? “I’m sorry Mickey, I was meaning to call you, things happened so fast and before I knew it, I was on a plane.”

“How?” He asked, the hurt in his eyes was evident. He was also holding in a lot of anger. “The last I remember is you calling me asking me some weird questions then when I came over to see you, your Mum said you left with some bloke. Then you come home and I have to hear about it from Rory?”

“I know how it sounds, Mickey. I’m really sorry.”

Noticing Rose was getting uncomfortable, Jack came to her side, forgetting that Mickey had no idea who he was. “Hey, is everything all right here?”

Mickey eyed Jack up and down, “who are you then?”

“I’m Rose’s friend Jack,” he smiled at Mickey.

“Yeah, well I’m her boyfriend,” he snapped back. “Or at least I thought I was,” he looked back at Rose.

Jack turned to Rose as well and she waved him away. “Mickey, I was going to call you, I just didn’t know what to say.”

“How about the truth,” Mickey told her, his voice began to calm. “You could have said you were leaving, said goodbye, something to let me know where we stand.”

Rose looked at him sadly, “I’m sorry, I was just confused.”

“So, now what?” Mickey asked, nervously. “Are you leaving again?”

Rose nodded, “I think so, I wish I could explain it to you, but you wouldn’t understand.”

“No, I don’t, Rose,” his voice was raising again. “If you are going to keep doing this, we can’t be a couple anymore.”

Rose nodded again, “I know.”

Mickey dropped his hands in defeat, “fine, you do that,” he then turned and walked away.

Rose didn’t follow, she knew it was wrong for her to treat him that way and she was mostly upset because Mickey was one of her closest friends. Somehow, she would have to find a way to make it up to him.


	30. Chapter 30

It was two days before Christmas and John sat at the airport in San Antonio, Texas. He followed several leads which led him nowhere, then he lost them completely. He wasn’t surprised, Saxon knew him too well and has given him the slip before, but John also worried that he let him get away to easy.

With nowhere else to go, John bought a ticket to go back to London. It was an unusual feeling for John, thinking he had something to go back to and he felt foolish for letting himself do something so domestic. Especially when his relationship with Rose was simply friendship as far as he was concerned.

He wasn’t even sure what she thought about him, especially now that he hadn’t spoken to her in so long because he lost his phone and her number with it, not to mention Jack’s. The only call he made, from a pay phone, was to Torchwood and he hoped that his message to Jack to pick him up at the airport made it through.

His flight began to board and when he heard the announcement his stomach started fluttering, a feeling he could not shake. He boarded the plane, took his seat, and immediately asked for ginger ale. He sipped his drink and as the flight took off, the feeling intensified.

Thirteen hours later, the plane touched down, jolting John awake. He was still groggy when he exited and decided to stop in the men’s room to splash some water on his face. After driving around Mexico for the last few days, he didn’t pay much attention to his appearance. His hair was shaggy and his facial hair was thickening. He smoothed his hand down his cheek, reminding himself to shave, he barely recognized himself.

Jack was waiting for John outside, “hey handsome,” he called out when he saw him. “I like this new look, so rugged.”

“Don’t get used to it,” John said while shaking his hand. “I just haven’t had a chance to shave these past few days.”

Jack pouted, “no fair,” then chuckled at John’s eyeroll. “But you never know, Rose might like it.”

John shook his head, “can we just get going?”

 

* * *

 

Jack parked the car when they got back, “I take it Rose doesn’t know you’re back yet…”

“No,” John told him. “I’ll stop by later, maybe after I shave this and feel more like myself again,” he stroked his beard.

They climbed the steps and when they reached the top they heard the sound of Rose and Jackie talking. He rounded the corner and she was right there, with Jackie, obviously on their way out. Rose stared at John, he was different with the beard and thicker hair but his eyes gave him away. She smiled shyly, “hey.”

“Hey,” John repeated quietly then glanced at Jackie, acknowledging per presence with a nod.

Rose shifted on her feet, unsure how to react with her mum standing right there. “Did you just get back?”

“Yeah, just now,” he answered, uncomfortably.

Jackie leaned into Jack’s ear as they watched this uncomfortable exchange, “blimey, you can cut the tension with a knife.” Knowing this was going nowhere she turned to Jack, “since you’re here, can you help me with something…” and pointed at her door.

“Oh,” Jack laughed, “yeah, let me see…” and followed Jackie into her flat, shutting the door behind him.

“How have you been?” John asked Rose.

“Good,” Rose said with a nod. “Not much excitement though, I haven’t had to leap off any boats lately.”

John smiled, letting out a soft chuckle and Rose immediately dove into his arms, feeling relieved, “I didn’t know if you were coming back,” she mumbled.

John squeezed her back and pressed a kiss into the top of her head. He let his lips linger in place as he spoke, “I told you I would.”

“I just haven’t heard from you in so long, I thought…” she stopped, holding in a sob.

“I lost my phone, that’s all. I’m sorry,” he said, his lips still grazing the top of her head.

Rose inhaled deeply to assure herself that he was really there, and she relaxed, slumping against him. John rewrapped his arms around her to support her and dropped his head to her shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck in a close embrace.

Rose laughed when his whiskers brushed against her skin, she pulled back and rubbed his chin, “I need to get used to this.”

“Nah, I’ll shave it off tonight,” he told her.

“I don’t know, I kina like it,” Rose said, still stroking it.

“Really,” he said amused, “can you handle it,” he said and pulled her close and purposefully tickled her neck.

Rose squealed and tried to pull away but he held her in place, still tickling her.

“Isn’t that sweet,” Jack announced, and they pulled apart in surprise. “Don’t stop because of me,” he continued to tease.

“Stop it you,” Jackie slapped him on the arm then addressed them. “Rose and I were just going out to dinner, you two are welcome to join us.”

John looked away embarrassed and wanted to tell her no. “We’d love to,” Jack answered for them both and before John knew it he was being led to a family dinner. He almost spoke up to protest but as soon as Rose put her hand in his and leaned against him he forgot what he was going to say.

 

* * *

 

Three hours later they arrived back and John was exhausted. Not just from the flight but having Jackie interrogate him during dinner. She asked him many simple questions like his age, which Rose finally learned to be thirty-seven, to more private questions about his past which he refused to answer and she accused him of being a fraud. She also wanted clarity on his intentions with Rose, which is where John drew the line. Lucky for him, Rose asked her to give him a break then changed the topic to something more pleasant.

“So, I’ll be seeing you tomorrow around nine?” Jackie said, mostly to Jack but it was directed to the both of them. She started unlocking her door, ready to turn in for the night.

“Yep, we’ll be there,” Jack answered for them both again and John held in his frustrations.

“Alright, goodnight then,” Jackie said and stepped into her flat, shutting the door behind her, leaving the three of them outside. At least that’s what John thought because when he turned to say something to Jack he was already nearing his own flat.

“I suppose I’ll be seeing you in the morning then?” John muttered, he didn’t know how to feel about that.

“Yeah, Mum makes a lot of food Christmas morning, so come hungry,” Rose told him.

Rose smiled up at him and he smiled back and he now realized how happy he was to be back with her and how much better she made him feel. He realized he was staring at her too long and he got self-conscious, “ok, I best be heading off then,” and he took a step backward. “I need to get some rest, you know how it is.”

Rose nodded and pretended to smile but her disappointment was evident, “yeah, I do. Goodnight, John.” Silently she stepped into her flat and he watched her until the minute she closed the door.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Rose woke before her alarm and she sprang out of bed. She felt like she was six again only this time she wasn’t excited about gifts for herself. She knew how hard her mum worked, trying to raise a daughter on her own and even without much money, Jackie always made it special. This year, Rose wanted to make her Jackie feel that way. She deserved it, especially after all Rose had put her through these past couple of years.

She stepped into the kitchen and she found Jackie already cooking. Rose poured herself some coffee and kissed her mum on the cheek, greeting her. “You know it’s only seven, you have a couple of hours,” Rose teased.

“I know,” Jackie said while wiping her hands off. “I’m just getting a head start, you know how men eat.”

Rose laughed and led her mum out of the kitchen, eager to give her gifts to her. They sat by the tree and Rose immediately started. Rose did not expect much from her mum, but she was surprised at what she got. Keeping her new life in mind, Jackie gave her a canvas duffle bag that was larger than her previous one yet small enough to carry on her back. She also gave her a selfie stick which Rose kept saying she wanted to get, and a portable battery charger for her phone. They were all very practical, but lovely gifts.

Rose really surprised Jackie when she brought her handmade soaps and personalized lotions from a market in L.A. From Hawaii, she brought her a wooden tiki and shells that she found herself. Although her time in Mexico was short, she still had a chance to bring her a brightly colored ceramic pottery. Jackie loved every one, happy that Rose could share a piece of her travels with her. Rose didn’t tell her yet but she also paid her next month’s rent, hoping that one day she could help get her Mum out of the estate for good. Until then, that would have to do.

They cleaned up their mess and Rose helped Jackie cook breakfast while enjoying their time alone. Nine o’clock came quickly and Rose had barely gotten dressed when Jack and John arrived. Jack’s knock let her know they were there and she hurried to the door, excited.

Jack was up front, wearing a red oxford and black slacks and carrying presents. He hugged Rose and quickly got out of the way for John and went inside. John stood in the hallway wearing a simple black top and jeans. He trimmed all of his hair off again and it was a bit shorter than usual but looked great. He also trimmed the beard so it wasn’t so thick and he cleaned the edges. It was a good look for him and Rose couldn’t help but stare.

“Hi,” John said happily, snapping Rose out of her daze.

“Hi,” she stood aside, giving him a friendly hug as he walked in, “you kept the beard.”

“Yeah, I figured I may as well,” he handed her a small, wrapped, package. “I’m not sure how these things work…”

Rose was surprised when she took it from him and proceeded to open it right there. She removed the wrapping and found it to be a leather-bound copy of Charles Dickens short stories.

John rubbed his neck nervously, “I’m not really sure what you would want and you seemed interested in mine…”

Rose leapt into his arms, cutting him off mid-sentence. “I love it, it’s perfect,” she took his hand and led him toward her tree and picked up her gift for him.

John was more than shocked when she handed it to him, he never expected Rose to give him anything. He slowly unwrapped it, which made Rose anxious, but the smile he gave when he saw the watch told Rose he was thrilled.

“You know how I’m always teasing you to get a watch,” Rose said as if it needed explanation. She watched him examine it, overall pleased, then when he flipped it over and saw the inscription he stopped. Rose began to get nervous, wondering if she overdid it.

“Run,” he said in a whisper while tracing the word with his thumb.

Rose laughed nervously, “yeah, I just figured it’s the first thing you ever said to me and…”

John cut her off when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the air, he would have kissed her right there if he wasn’t standing in Jackie’s flat. He put her down and looked back at the watch, “this is fantastic,” then Rose helped him put it on, not that he needed it. When it was on, he took Rose’s hand in his and looked her in the eye, “thank you,” he told her sincerely while stroking her knuckles with his thumb.

* * *

Breakfast went surprisingly well, Jackie refrained from asking embarrassing questions and John’s mood had lightened enough for Jackie to get a glimpse of the man Rose was telling her about. After breakfast they spent time chatting and watched a movie. Rose saw John getting restless, he doesn’t like to sit still and she knew he needed some air.

Jack dozed off on the couch during the movie and Jackie retreated to the kitchen to start dinner. Rose stood up and started putting her coat on, telling John to follow her. They headed out and Rose took him upstairs to the roof where she hopped up on a thick ledge and John stood beside her.

“So, why are we up here,” John asked.

“It just seemed like you needed a break, besides, it’s a nice view,” she told him while she glanced at it over her shoulder.

“Yeah, I suppose,” John leaned against the wall, facing the opposite way. “It’s not the nightmare I thought it would be, not like last night.”

Rose laughed, “she just wants to be sure you aren’t some creep.”

He turned and looked at her, “do I look like a creep?”

“No,” Rose laughed again, “it’s just the age gap. She thought you were keeping me around for sex.” That sounded much funnier in her head, now that she said it though, they both stopped laughing.

John’s arms were crossed and he stared straight ahead as he thought of what to say next. “She knows that we aren’t…” he shifted uncomfortably, “you really are helping me out there.”

“She knows,” Rose smiled, “she’s just being a mother.”

“Right,” John said as he turned around to look at the view. “So, is this where you come to get away?”

“Sometimes,” she nodded, “mostly on warm days though, it’s freezing up here.” She started rubbing her hands together and when John noticed he took her hands in his and proceeded to warm them for her. Rose watched him as he massaged her hands, gently, “After I left, back in Mexico, what did you do?”

“I drove up to Durango, that’s where I was told I could find Saxon and Van Statten.”

“But, you didn’t find them.”

John shook his head, “no, they were already long gone by the time I got there. After that I was just following leads until I lost them completely. I got as far as Texas.”

“So, if you say Saxon is so dangerous, why did you go after him alone? Why not bring backup or something.”

“Because they would kill him immediately, I would like to reach out to him somehow, give him a chance.”

Rose realized she was missing a piece to this puzzle, “why give him a chance if he is as awful as you say he is.”

John sighed and looked down at his feet, “I’ve known him my whole life, we grew up together, went to school together, even joined the military together. I know he’s bad but he’s the only thing I have left of my old life, everyone else is gone.”

Rose’s eyebrows raised, “I didn’t know you were in the military.”

“I don’t like to talk about it,” John said.

“Ok,” Rose told him, “was he always like this, bad?”

“Yeah, he was always a trouble maker and he got me into a lot of trouble too, but it was fun back then. When we were in the military, we went to war.” John paused to relax himself, “when you are at war, you have to do awful things, things that you can’t even imagine. If you are given an order, you are expected to follow it. Saxon, he enjoyed it, he thought it was a game but these were people’s lives, their families,” John stopped talking, his chest was heaving from the anxiety.

Rose put a hand on his shoulder, “what did you do?”

“Nothing that I’m willing to talk about,” he told her bluntly.

“Why not,” She asked.

“Why should I,” John said with his voice raised.

“Because talking about it is good for you,” Rose told him.

“I’ve talked about it and no it doesn’t,” he snapped.

“Well, you can’t go through life keeping your problems bottled up,” Rose snapped back.

“Do you think I want to,” John said, almost yelling. “Do you think I like having this secret that I can’t tell anyone because they would think I’m a monster. I’m not proud of it, I don’t want to talk about it and I would really like to just forget it.” He stepped away from the wall, several feet away from Rose and he was breathing heavily, trying to tamp his anger.

Rose watched him nervously from the spot she was sitting in, she wasn’t sure what to say to him. She hopped off the wall and stood next to him, taking his hand and looking up at him. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all of that, just…understand you don’t have to do it alone, not while I’m around.”

Rose was relived to see a gentile smile showing through and she hugged him, hoping it was enough for him. “Maybe we should go back downstairs, check on everyone, yeah?”

John nodded, “I supposed we’ve been up here for a while now,” he looked at the time on his new watch. “You’re right, this is really handy.”

Rose laughed at him, “come on you,” she grabbed his hand and led him away.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, after everyone was stuffed from dinner, the four relaxed over a few games and stories. All in all, it was a perfect night, free of stress. The events of the day caught up to Jackie and she excused herself to go to bed. Soon after, Jack headed back to his flat.

“Today wasn’t too awful, was it?” Rose asked John with a touch of humor in her voice.

“Nah,” John said, “it wasn’t too bad at all, I had good food, good company and I even got a fantastic watch out of it.” He held it up proudly for Rose to see it.

Rose smiled at him then reached onto the table and grabbed the book John gave her, “I must say I’m very impressed with this too.” She flipped through the pages, “I don’t know which one to read first.”

John took the book from her and looked at the index, “this is a good one,” he pointed.

Rose nodded, “ok,” she looked looked at him, “you don’t suppose you can read it, do you? My eyes are a bit tired right now.”

John took the book from her, “I suppose, you’ll probably be asleep in a minute though.”

“It’s fine,” Rose told him as she snuggled into his side as if she belonged there.

John opened the book to the correct page and started reading in a quiet voice, his arm draped around her and lazily stroking her hair. As John suspected, Rose was asleep within minutes, but not before Jackie peeked into the room. She watched them for a moment and could see how much John cared for her and they needed each other. This put her mind at ease as she went back to bed.

Just like before, John read until the end and when he finished, he gently removed himself from beneath Rose. He adjusted a pillow on the sofa and carefully laid Rose down. He took a nearby blanket and covered her, tucking the edges around her so no skin was exposed to the chill. Rose slept deeply as he did this and he took a moment to watch her. He pulled the blanket higher and brushed her hair out of her face before he leaned down and pressed a gentile kiss to her lips. He didn’t think about it, he just did it, and Rose didn’t even stir, she continued to sleep.

Quietly, he gathered his things and headed for the door.


	31. Chapter 31

When Rose opened her eyes, it was morning. She was still on the couch, covered up, and John was gone. She thought about her last few minutes awake, with John reading to her again, then touched her lips, wondering if she dreamt of him kissing her.

Jackie wasn’t up yet, so Rose knew it must be early. Still, she got up and decided to heat up some breakfast leftovers for the two of them. Jackie entered the kitchen as Rose cooked, “where’s himself?”

“Went back to Jack’s I suppose. I fell asleep before he left.”

“You two seemed cozy last night,” Jackie remarked as she sat at the table.

Rose kept her eyes focused on the food she was preparing, “what do you mean?”

“Don’t play stupid,” Jackie told her, “I saw you two all cuddled up on the sofa as he read to you.”

Rose turned to place Jackie’s breakfast and coffee on the table, unaware of the blush spreading across her cheeks.

Jackie smiled, “at least I can see that he is taking care of you.”

“I told you he was a good man.”

“I know,” Jackie took a sip from her mug, “I just needed to see it for myself.”

 

* * *

 

After breakfast, Rose showered and got prepared for the day. She didn’t know what was in store for her, but she was eager to get her day started. There was a knock at the door and Rose expected it to be John, but when she opened it, she was surprised to see it was Mickey.

“Hey,” she muttered, the surprise on her face was evident.

“Hey,” he said back, his voice was much calmer than it was the other night. “Sorry to pop by unexpected. I was gonna call, but you never answer your phone.”

Rose shifted uncomfortably, “sorry.”

“Can we talk? Privately I mean?”

“Yeah,” Rose put on her coat. She was nervous, this conversation could go one of many ways, but she owed him that much considering how she treated him recently. She called out behind her, “Mum, I’ll be back in a minute.” She walked into the hall and shut the door behind her.

The two walked downstairs and headed outside. Once they were alone, Rose had a hard time looking at Mickey as she played with her hands, waiting for him to talk.

“Listen,” he began, “I’m not saying what you did was right or that it’s forgivable, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life angry at you for it either.”

Rose gave him a confused look, but let him speak. “We grew up together,” he said, “we are best friends, and I love you. Maybe we aren’t meant to be a couple, but we can still be friends and I don’t want to lose that.”

Tears welled up in Rose’s eyes and she nodded, “I don’t want to lose that either.” She hugged him, “I was so afraid that I lost you forever because I was too much of a coward to call.”

He pulled away, “just, don’t go disappearing on me like that again. I still worry about you, Rose. I don’t know this bloke, but I hope he treats you better than that Jimmy Stone did.”

“He’s nothing like Jimmy,” Rose told him and squeezed his hand. “You just need to meet him, you’ll see that he’s different.”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, John stood by a window, gazing down at them. Were they still dating, he asked himself. Rose never mentioned it, she never mentioned him at all. What if they didn’t break up after all, and this whole time he was in Mexico, Rose was home with this Rickey kid, doing…well…he didn’t want to think about that.

“What’s going on out there?” Jack asked, approaching John.

John pulled the curtain shut, “nothing, I just thought I saw snow.”

Jack looked surprised, “that would be a miracle.”

“Well, I guess I’ll go shower then,” John walked away as questions still flooded his mind.

* * *

 

When John finished showering and getting ready, he walked out and found Rose on Jack’s couch, with her maybe-boyfriend, talking with Jack.

“There you are,” Rose called out happily to John.

John walked further into the room and took a seat in a plush chair, far from everyone. “I didn’t know you were looking for me.”

“Well, you left without saying goodbye last night,” Rose told him jokingly, her cheeks tinged pink.

John smiled and leaned forward, forgetting about everyone else in the room, “I did say goodnight, Rose. You fell asleep on me again, you don’t remember.” His smile grew wider when he saw Rose’s cheeks go from pink to red and she bashfully looked away. He wasn’t sure if she felt him kiss her or if she was just being shy because of present company. Speaking of present company, he looked at Mickey, “sorry,” he stood and shook his hand, “Rickey, is it?”

“Mickey,” he corrected him looking a bit annoyed. John merely nodded and sat back down.

“So, what brings you by,” John asked in an overly friendly tone, his fake grin spreading so far it hurt.

Rose studied him for a moment, “I just wanted Mickey to see that I didn’t run off with some nutter.”

_What’s it to him?_ John asked himself, but tried to remain pleasant even though this boy was sitting far too close to Rose. “Nope, I’m just a normal guy, nothing special.” He leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He twirled his pen in his right hand, the pen he used to knock people out, and Rose wondered if he was planning to use it now.

“Is everything all right,” Rose asked John, noticing his odd behavior.

“Yeah, why do you ask,” John said with his eyebrows arched high. Inside, John was battling jealousy, doubt, and worry while on the outside he tried to remain calm and normal, only he couldn’t remember what normal was for him.

Rose glanced at Jack who also took notice of this, then back to John, “no reason.”

An awkward silence settled in the room, aside from the sound of John’s pen clicking against the arm of the chair between twirls.

Jack was the first to break the silence when he popped up from his seat, “it’s my turn to use the shower, excuse me,” and made a hasty retreat.

Rose turned back to John, “any plans for today?” She was hoping John had something in mind, she was eager to get started with something exciting again, or at least be alone with John for a little while.

John pretended to consider this for a minute as he stared up at the ceiling. He shook his head, “nope, nothing.”

“Ok,” Rose said, she was still wondering what was going on with him. “Well, Mickey and I are going to eat lunch with Amy and Rory if you want to come.” Rose was hoping he would come, but not if he was going to act like this the whole time.

“Nah, you two go have fun, I have some personal business to handle anyway,” he strained to look cheerful and his face was getting tired.

Rose and Mickey stood up and slowly walked to the door. Mickey stepped out first and Rose followed, before shutting the door she turned to John, “see you later then?”

John only nodded and waved her away, as soon as the door shut John’s face went from a false pleasant to straight anger, as if someone flipped a switch. He stared at the closed door with intensity. He gripped his pen tightly before he threw it across the room. 

* * *

 

Lunch was wonderful, now that she and Mickey chose to remain close friends. Amy and Rory showed up as promised and Rose truly felt at home now, with all her favorite people. They mostly munched on chips as they talked and laughed for hours. Rose hadn’t even been gone for very long, so why did it feel like ages to her. Surely things couldn’t have changed that much.

“Well, I suppose our mediocre stories can’t compare to Rose’s stories of world travel,” Amy said as she watched Rose who absentmindedly play with her straw, deep in thought. “Sorry, for boring you Rose,” Amy said loudly.

Rose looked up, “What? Sorry,” she looked around the table to see the three friends watching her humorously.

Amy bumped Rory in the shoulder, “did I mention that she does this traveling with a mystery man and she fancies him?”

“Amy!” Rose yelled and she looked at Mickey apologetically. She didn’t mention that part to him yet.

Mickey held up his hand to Rose and gave a gentile smile, “it’s fine, believe me.”

After the go signal, Amy continued, “he’s older too, and a gentleman from what I heard.” She winked at Rose and Rose could only hide her face away. “I suppose he’s handsome, I haven’t met him so I can’t say anything.”

“I did,” Mickey spoke up, “just before we came here. Rose took me to meet him and he seemed…strange.”

Rose’s eyes snapped up and she glared at Mickey, “he’s not strange.”

“Rose, he hardly spoke while we were there and he seemed anxious. I don’t know how you deal with it.”

Everyone turned their gaze on Rose who looked deeply offended, “he is nothing like that, I don’t know what that was earlier, but that’s not him. Normally, he doesn’t shut up, he’s funny, and very friendly.”

“How about the ears?” Mickey asked with a smirk, “I’m sure he’s a great listener.” They all started to laugh except for Rose.

“I happen to like them, and honestly if you are going to start making fun of people’s appearances, then you really are childish,” Rose snapped at Mickey.

“Speaking of childish…” Rose heard Amy say. The look on her face alone told Rose something was wrong.

“Hey,” Rose heard from behind her. She turned around and saw David standing behind her. “Rory said you would be here, is it ok if I join you?”

Amy immediately smacked Rory on the arm and he winced at the sting.

Rose stopped Amy, “it’s fine, were all adults here.”

“Barely,” Amy chimed in, looking at David.

Rose quieted her again, “we’re all friends and David would like to see you too while he’s home, I don’t mind.”

Amy pursed her lips and gave a sideways glance, but didn’t speak. David took a spare chair and sat at the end of the table, nearest to Rose. It was tense at first when they asked David about school but soon their conversation flowed between them like old times, and before they knew it, it was dark.

As the night wore on, group began to thin, and before Rose could figure out what happened, she and David were the last two. They continued to chat with no tension between them, unlike their previous meeting and Rose didn’t feel so uncomfortable around him anymore. Maybe they could still be friends, she thought to herself.

They walked out of the restaurant and Rose looked up at the clear sky.

“Grandad says hi,” David told her.

Rose thought about Wilfred and smiled, “I miss him.”

“I’m sure he’s outside if you want to drop by, I can sneak you around back so nobody sees you.”

David still didn’t know that she used to sneak over there often while he was away. Rose looked at the time, it was getting late. She didn’t have a curfew but she wondered if John would be upset, she said later but not how much later.

“Come on,” David playfully groaned, “just a few minutes to make him smile. He’s been a little down lately.”

“Fine, just a few minutes,” Rose agreed and walked alongside him to the house.

“Listen, I want to apologize for the way I acted the other day,” David told her as they walked.

“I haven’t really thought about it, I tend to keep moving forward, not looking back. One of the many things John has taught me.” Rose said happily.

David considered this, “not a bad thing I suppose.” He glanced at her, “so, how long have you two been seeing each other?”

“We aren’t exactly a couple,” Rose admitted sheepishly.

“But, you said that you two were happy together, I just thought…” David trailed off and shrugged.

“Well, we are, as friends. Close friends,” she looked at him and he stared at her with an eyebrow raised. “Not that close.” Rose snapped. “I wish I could explain it, we are more than just friends but we aren’t a couple either.”

David cocked his head and pondered this, “makes sense I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Rose said.

They reached the house and everyone was inside making a lot of noise, David turned to Rose and put his finger on his lips to tell her to stay quiet. Rose repeated this action and without warning he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Rose never went through such measures before, but David made it seem like a secret mission. They ducked behind trash bins, skirted along the side of the house and David unnecessarily climbed a fence that could open easily. Rose closed the gate quietly behind her while David sneered, “what’s the fun in that, walking through gates…”

Rose almost laughed and she had to stifle it with her hand. David smiled at her then he pointed to the hill in the distance and Wilfred’s silhouette could be seen, still sitting in his favorite spot. David crouched behind a bush and peered in the window, “all clear,” he whispered to Rose. She looked around one last time and started walking up the hill. Once again, she felt David’s hand grip hers, “oh, we’ll never get there at this rate. Allons-y!” he called and he ran up the hill, pulling Rose behind him.

They reached the top laughing and Rose held her sides unsure if it was the running or the laughing that made them hurt.

Wilfred laughed along with them, but his laughter was from surprise as he hugged Rose. Then, as always, he was a gracious host and he brought out chairs and blankets from the shed. Rose forgot how serene things were up on that hill. He immediately broke into story mode and before Rose knew it, two hours had passed.

Wilfred got up and stretched, “I should be off to bed,” he hugged Rose goodbye and whispered, “please visit again if you can,” and Rose wanted to cry. He started walking down the hill and Rose started gathering the blankets.

David put the chairs away then he helped Rose fold the blankets. “I don’t know if you still have my phone number, but I would really like to keep in touch with you.”

“No, I don’t, it’s been a while,” she told him then put the blankets in the shed.

“Well, I can give it to you again or you could give me yours, either way,” he said.

“What would your girlfriend say,” Rose teased.

David bashfully looked away, “about that…I lied…”

“What, why?”

“I don’t know, you were talking about doing all these great things and it just slipped out. I’m not dating anybody, not at all.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling ridiculous for admitting that.

“Oh,” Rose said quietly, then she started to laugh.

“What?” David asked

Rose pointed at him, laughing still, “sorry, it’s just…I pictured you running around town with a fake girlfriend.”

David imagined this for a moment and he started to laugh too, “fair enough.” He watched Rose as she calmed back down and wiped the tears from her eyes. He took a step closer and Rose looked back at him. One more step closer and they were very close, he started to lean in and as he did, Rose began to lean back.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

David took two long strides back, “sorry, I just thought…”

“Thought that since I’m being nice to you that you could just go and kiss me?”

“No, Rose, that’s not it…” he told her apologetically.

“We aren’t a couple anymore, remember, you broke up with me.” She said a little bit louder.

David tried signaling for her to keep her voice down, “I know and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I never stopped loving you.”

“Really?” Rose sounded offended, “you think you can just be nice to me and expect me to come running back to you because of your mistake?” She watched his jaw drop as he shook his head, he didn’t know what to say, “you broke my heart and you just left me, crying by that fountain on one of the worst days of my life. I cried over you for weeks and I felt so, insignificant. Then when I thought I was at my lowest I met Jimmy Stone.”

“Yeah, I heard about that…” David cut in and quickly snapped his mouth shut when Rose glared at him.

“What exactly did you hear? That I left school, my home, even my mum, to be with this guy who I thought loved me. Instead, he hurt me both physically and mentally, he took all my money, cheated on me countless times...” her voice broke off in tears, she did not want to think back on those days again.

David couldn’t hide the horror in his face even if he tried, “I’m so sorry, Rose.”

Again, she stopped him, “Coming home was so hard because I thought I would be rejected, then I had to try and get my life back on track which wasn’t easy. I was making a good steady progress too, until…”

“Until what?” he was afraid to speak too loud.

“Until I met John,” Rose’s voice calmed and she smiled, lost in thought. “When we met, he said one word to me, just one word…run. He found me broken and he fixed me, made me stronger, and showed me a new way to live. I’m doing things I never thought I would ever do before and he’s right there to catch me if I fall.”

Rose went silent as her mind wandered to John. David waited a moment longer, just to be sure she was finished. “Can I at least walk you home?”

Rose smiled shook her head, “no, I'm not walking” and she took off running.

* * *

 

“Come on John," Jack whined, "you’ve moped around all day. Let’s just go see a movie or something.”

“No,” John told him for the fourth time that night.

“Why didn’t you just go with her if you were going to be so jealous?” Jack asked.

“I’m not jealous,” John told him.

“Fine, I’ll make popcorn and we’ll watch a movie here. I will find the most miserable movie I have to match your mood,” Jack said and retreated to the kitchen.

John huffed and wandered to the window, like he did countless times before, only this time he saw Rose and she was running home. As curious as that was, the figure running a short distance behind her made him worry for her safety.

John ran out the door and leapt down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, Rose slammed into him hard. He caught her by the shoulders and looked at her, “is everything all right?”

Rose surprised him when she burst into laughter and hugged him, “yeah, I just needed to run, I suppose.”

“Any idea who that was following you then?”

Rose looked up at John, “what?” She took a step back and looked to where John was looking and saw David standing in the distance, giving a small wave before he backed away and left. Rose slowly raised her hand and waved back. She looked back at John, “I didn’t know he followed me.”

“Who is it then,” John asked, his foot was angled so he could run after the stranger if he felt he was a threat to Rose.

“That’s David,” Rose said in a shaky voice.

“Oh,” John said, his voice calming a little as he dropped his hands from her shoulders. “Sorry, I just saw you running and thought you were being chased. What happened to Mickey anyway?”

“He went home, I was visiting David’s grandad for a while. Then David tried to kiss me and I left,” Rose wasn’t sure why she added the kissing part.

“Humph,” John grunted as he crossed his arms and looked away, “I was just curious, since you leave with one boyfriend and come back with another.”

“David’s not my boyfriend, I told you he dumped me and I’m not stupid enough to go through that again.” Rose yelled, “As for Mickey, we are still good friends as always, but we recently had a mutual break-up. So, no, he's not my boyfriend either.”

“Why’s that then?” He looked away acting as if he really didn’t care.

Rose stared at his stone-cold face and she grew frustrated, “because I’d rather be with you, you daft git.” She blurted out before she turned and stomped up the stairs.

John fell silent as he listened to Rose’s footsteps above him and he couldn’t help but laugh. He laughed at the situation, he laughed at himself, and he laughed at Rose’s last words. He heard the door slam, several feet above him and he knew she was mad, but he would make it up to her tomorrow, right now he just had to laugh it off.

Upstairs, Rose slammed the door shut, but not before she heard his laughter from below. She felt foolish for admitting her feelings like that, but he was being a jerk about it. She headed for her room, tired and confused. She needed to rest before she did something else to embarrass herself.


	32. The Locksmith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are reading this I just want to say thank you again for sticking with this story and an extra big thank you if you commented or left kudos. I'm having a lot of fun writing it. My original intention was to have it start and end as a Ten(David)/Rose story with Nine(John) in the middle, but I'm loving John more and more as I go and now I'm not so sure I want her back with David. Either way, I have a lot in store for Rose and we are getting close to John actually doing something about his feelings for Rose. I hope you enjoy.

Rose found herself alone the next morning. Her mum had gone off to work and there was a note slipped under the door from John telling her that Jack needed him at Torchwood for the day and that is all it said.

“Typical,” Rose muttered to herself as she rubbed her tired eyes. He’s very good at avoiding her when things get heated between them. Refusing to spend the day alone, she called Amy who was luckily free for the day.

It wasn’t very cold out, considering the time of year, so they picked up lunch and ate at the center of town, watching busy shoppers, brought out by the warm weather. Rose told Amy about the rest of her evening and Amy apologized for leaving her in such a vulnerable position. “I knew David was up to something,” she grumbled.

They then talked about what Rose said to John and how she heard him laughing afterword. Amy listened and gave her best advice, knowing that it would fall on deaf ears. Especially now, as she saw Rose’s eyes drift away from the conversation onto something else entirely.

It’s not that Rose wasn’t interested in what Amy had to say, but what was happening across the street from her that grabbed her attention. A rather attractive girl was chatting up the security guard of a jewelry store. Although opposites attract, this girl seemed way out of his league and their age gap made her and John’s seems like nothing. It just didn’t sit right with Rose.

Then she saw it, or him rather, a young man creeping up behind the security guard. The guard was so caught up in his conversation and the girl’s playful touches that he didn’t even realize that he was being set up. Then the man reached over and removed the keys from the guard’s belt, which also went unnoticed. Rose rolled her eyes, this was too easy.

She continued to watch as the man seemingly made impressions of the keys in a small box he held in his hand, then he carefully clipped the keys back to the guard’s belt. It all happened in a matter of seconds, these two have apparently done this before.

“Rose!” Amy said while waving her hand in front of her face. “Were you even listening, or were you off daydreaming about him again?”

“No, sorry…” Rose kept her eyes on the man as he, casually, walked away. “It’s just, there’s something strange happening over there.”

Amy glanced over her shoulder only to see the girl who was now walking away from the guard, in the same direction as the man. She looked back at Rose confused and Rose stood up, “just follow me.”

Rose followed a short distance behind the two, wondering what they were up to, and followed them to a nearby locksmith.

“What’s gotten into you,” Amy chided.

Rose hushed her, “Just act casual, don’t ask questions, and I’ll tell you later.”

They walked into the shop, as if aimlessly shopping, when the two young people emerged from the back followed by an older man, most likely the locksmith.

“We’ll be back before closing,” the young man said as he exited, followed by the girl.

“Yes, yes, I’ll have it ready by then,” the locksmith said, waving at the couple uncomfortably.

After they left, Rose walked up the locksmith. He was a plump, older man, with white, thinning, hair and thick sideburns to match.

“Can I help you with anything?” he asked nicely.

“Yes,” Rose started, “you make keys here?”

“That’s right,” the man nodded.

“What if I didn’t have a key to copy, could you make one then?” Rose wondered if she was asking the right questions. She was also trying to ignore the strange looks Amy was giving her.

“Well, I would have to see the lock first.” The man said, then he looked out the window and wiped his brow with a handkerchief, something was making him nervous.

Rose pushed forward and made up a story. “My friend needs to make a copy of her boyfriend’s key, she wants to sneak into his flat and surprise him on his birthday, but she can’t just take the key. I was wondering if there is a way to make a copy of the key and you make a key from that.”

“What you are asking is highly illegal,” the man scolded Rose. “I don’t have time for this, I’m trying to run a respectable, family, business.”

Rose recoiled, “sorry, just wondering.”

The man nodded again, “now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do,” and the man went to the back to where he came from before.

Amy smacked her arm, “what’s gotten into you?”

“There’s just something strange going on?” Rose said, while trying to peek in the back.

“I’ll say, and it’s you,” Amy snapped.

“Shhh, just go outside so he thinks we left.”

Amy groaned and walked noisily out of the shop, closing the door loudly behind her.

Rose slowly approached the door leading to the back room, trying to see inside, but nobody was there. Where could he have gone, Rose thought to herself.

Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth before she was grabbed tightly and pulled into a storage room with no windows and dim lights. The door slammed shut and when she tried to open it, it was locked. She started banging on the door, “Hey! Whoever you are, let me out! Hey!” She banged some more, but there was no noise from the opposite end. “Great,” she groaned out and slumped to the floor.

Then she had an idea, she reached into her pocket to call Amy, but her phone was gone. “How did he get my phone,” Rose mumbled, “and what is Amy going to think now?”

She didn’t have to wonder long because Amy was soon tossed inside the same room as Rose and she did not look pleased. “I really hope you are going to explain something to me now because that creepy old man just grabbed me and dragged me in here.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Earlier that morning_ ;  John stood outside Rose’s door, writing a note telling her that he would be at Torchwood with Jack. He really wanted to see her, considering how the night ended for them, but he also promised Jack that he would give him a hand today in exchange for letting him stay at his flat. He slipped the note under the door and wondered if he should have written more, or at least promised to take her out for the night. He’ll deal with that later, he told himself as he headed down to meet Jack.

John never liked the confines of working in an office, or in a building for that matter. The thought of being in the same place every day, doing the same exact thing, made him uneasy. So, walking in the front doors of the Torchwood building almost suffocated him, it did every time. He’s worked closely with Torchwood for many years, as there were Torchwood locations all over the world, but he had a love/hate relationship with them. He had more brains than most of their agents put together, but he was not part of their team so he didn't have to follow their rules. They had strict guidelines that all agents must follow and John often broke them all. That’s what got the job done.

Jack brought him into a room and introduced him to a line of newly hired agents, which Torchwood expected him to train somehow.

John looked back at Jack, “exactly what am I supposed to teach them in just a few hours?”

Jack shrugged, “you’re the man with all the answers, let’s see what you can do.” As soon as Jack shut the door he heard a few choice curse words, exclaimed by John.

By lunchtime, John came staggering back to Jack’s lab, where Jack was fiddling with a small device. “Is this payback for something I did,” John asked, looking more tired than ever.

“Maybe,” Jack grinned, but John didn’t return the smile. “Anyway, I got this new little device for you to test out for me.” He held up the small item which resembled a strangely shaped flashlight, “this here is…”

“A flashlight,” John finished flatly.

Jack glared at him and continued, “This here will be you’re new best friend. Granted, it’s still being tested, but it should be very helpful. It can hack computers, steal data from cell phones, pick locks and even solder wire.” He handed the tool over to John, “just to be clear, nobody is to get their hands on this.”

“So why are you giving it to me,” John asked.

“Who better to test it than the man who always saves the day? Just don’t zap your finger off in the process,” Jack said while patting him on the arm, almost making him drop it. “How about we get some grub and I’ll tell you more about it.”

John opted on eating out, he didn’t want to be in that building any longer than he had to, and if any one of those kids tracked him down for more questions, he was going to rip his hair out. As they ate lunch, Jack explained the different setting on the tool, which John opted on calling a sonic because of the technology being used.

They started walking back to Torchwood when Jack pointed at the locksmith, “I bet that place is full of little locks you could test it out on,” and led John inside. John wasn’t in the mood to be sneaking around, picking lockboxes. It was getting late and he did want to see Rose at some point to make up for his behavior the night before.

They walked into the shop and the same old man that Rose met before greeted them.

“Hey there,” Jack said loudly, and in the back, Rose’s ears perked up at the familiar voice. She hushed Amy and pressed her ear to the door to listen. “My friend and I were just looking to replace some door locks and want to see the strongest ones you got.” He leaned across the counter toward the man, “he broke our last one down in a fit of jealousy.”

John turned to him, “can’t you just be serious for once,” his voice boomed and Rose sprang to her feet. She looked at Amy, “that’s him, John’s out there” and started banging loudly on the door. “John, help! We’re locked in here!” she yelled loudly, praying that they could hear.

It was very audible and Jack looked at John in shock, John looked at the old man with rage and stormed past him. “You can’t go back there!” the old man protested but Jack held him back.

John rapped on the door, “hello,” he called and Rose yelled back, “John, help. We are locked in.”

“Of course it would be you,” John teased and with the help of his new sonic, he got the door open within seconds. The door sung open and Rose sprang into his arms, grateful to be out of there. As happy as John was to have Rose in his arms, he also noticed Amy standing very close. “Who’s your friend,” he asked.

“Oh, this is Amy,” she pointed and introduced them. Amy smiled and poked Rose playfully, obviously excited about finally meeting John. Rose smacked Amy’s hands away and her sights set on the old man, “you” she yelled as she stormed across the store, “who the hell do you think you are, locking two girls up like that? How long were you planning on keeping us anyway? And how did you manage to snag my phone without your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man!?”

This time the old man looked to John to be rescued, but all John did was smile at Rose as she laid into him. “I will not be insulted like this,” the old man said. “You’re free now, just leave.”

“No,” John finally cut in, “because you locked them up for a reason and you’re going to tell me why.”

“They were trespassing”

“Then call the police,” John told him as he approached him.

“I was planning to…”

“When,” John asked, his voice was growing deeper and angrier, “because I don’t think that you were. I think that you are hiding something and you don’t want anyone to figure out what. Am I right?”

John leaned down and stared directly into the old man’s eyes, waiting for an answer. The room was quiet aside from Amy who leaned into Rose’s ear while watching John’s body language, “oh, now I see it.”

Rose jabbed Amy in the ribs, not hard, but enough to tell her to be quiet.

Finally, the old man burst, “she shouldn’t have been nosing around. I tried to warn her, but she didn’t listen. I didn’t want any of this to happen, this is a family business.”

“So, what’s going on, then?” Jack cut in, flashing an official looking badge and announced himself as Captain Jack Harkness. As the name escaped Jack’s lips John recoiled, rolling his eyes in the process, but let Jack continue.

“It’s this gang of kids, they’ve been threatening me and my family for some time now. As long as I comply, make keys for them, and don’t tell the police, we stay safe.”

John looked over at Jack and Jack was already getting on the phone to call Torchwood.

“How long has this been going on,” Rose gently asked the old man.

“Almost a year,” he huffed out, sadly, “a year full of pure hell.”

Rose put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, “it’s ok now, we are going to help you.”

The old man looked up at Rose and nodded, there was still doubt in his eyes, but he wanted to believe her. “What about my family?”

“They’ll be taken care of,” John told him. He looked back at Rose, impressed by her all over again.


	33. Chapter 33

It didn’t take long for Jack’s team to show up and take over and the four were free to go. Amy still had a lot of questions when they walked out so Jack suggested they stop at a nearby pub, that way he could stay nearby in case he was needed.

They walked and chose a large booth in a far, back, corner. Rose situated between John and Amy and Amy immediately started asking questions, “so is this what you’ve been doing while you’ve gone?”

Rose just shrugged, “we help people, that’s all.”

“Well I’m impressed,” Amy told her. “You don’t put yourself in danger, do you? Because back there…”

Rose stopped her, “I’m not worried, you shouldn’t either.”

Jack showed up at the table last, carrying four very colorful drinks and setting them on the table. “I figured after the day these ladies had, they would like a drink.”

John eyed the fruity drink with disgust, “you can’t expect me to drink this,” he sniffed it and scrunched his face. He looked at Jack who was holding in a laugh, then shook his head. “I’ll get myself something,” then got up and left the table.

Amy leaned closer to Rose, “Ok, I admit, I was a little put off at first, but now I can see the attraction.”

Rose took a sip of her drink, pleased with the flavor, then grinned at Amy, “what do you mean?”

“I don’t know, just how he took command back there, that voice, and that adorable smile he was giving you earlier. Not to mention protective,” Amy let out a small growl.

Both girls squealed in laughter which they stopped immediately when John came back to the table with a pint of beer in his hand. He stared at them oddly before taking a drink. Amy started talking with Jack so Rose turned her attention to John. She kept her voice low so Amy couldn’t hear, “they aren’t going to have to erase Amy’s memory like they did Mickey’s, are they?”

John shook his head, “that was different, those men were dangerous and it was safer for him to forget who they are and what they were doing. These guys, today, they were a small group of hooligans, no worries.”

“That’s good,” Rose took another sip of her drink.

“I’d go slow on that if I were you, Jack orders them strong. I don’t want to have to carry you home.”

“Is that why you didn’t drink yours,” Rose asked, “can’t handle it?” She teased him with a smile, a bit of her tongue poking between her teeth.

He smiled back then grabbed the silly looking drink and swallowed it down in one gulp. Jack watched him and let out a howl, “now it’s a party.”

Rose stared at John in shock, but overall impressed, “brave man, drinking down one of Captain Jack’s secret concoctions like that.”

John’s eyebrows raised, “oh, we’re calling him Captain Jack now.” He smirked, “you know he isn’t really a Captain, Rose.”

“I think you are experiencing Captain envy,” Rose teased back.

John leaned closer, right next to Rose’s ear, “Jack has nothing that I need to envy.” His lips brushing against her ear, making her shudder.

“What was that,” Jack called across the table, “we can’t hear you when you whisper your sweet nothings to each other.”

John pulled back and gave Rose a wink before taking another drink from his pint.

Even Rose was still speechless, he was flirting with her, no doubting it. She turned back to Amy who was grinning at her mischievously. “What,” she asked, acting defensive but her smile held firm.

“You two,” Amy said with a nudge of her shoulder, “he must have said something to make your cheeks glow like that.”

Rose glanced away, back to John, who was now playing with some new little light that she saw him with earlier. She wasn’t sure what it did, but he was testing it out on everything around him, waiting for something to happen, then looked confused when whatever he expected to happen didn’t. She smiled at his curiosity, she could watch him like this for hours. Rose was once again lost in thought that she didn’t hear the music in the background change.

“Hey, remember our song Rosie?” Jack called out across the table, getting her attention. “How about a dance?”

Rose looked around, “nobody else is dancing,” she said while laughing.

Jack held his hand out to her, “who cares, live for the moment.”

Rose gave in and she started to get up, which required her nudging John out of his seat so she could stand. John glared at Jack but Jack ignored him, this was a game to Jack and he was leaving the next move to John.

It only took a moment for several other couples to join in and a whole area cleared, making a dancefloor. Jack and Rose danced, slowly, closely, and John grew frustrated. He walked over to the jukebox in the corner and fiddled with his new sonic. If it could hack a phone, surely it could do something here. After several passes, and a couple of kicks, the song changed.

The quicker tempo threw most of the couples off, but they quickly adjusted to the new rhythm. John walked back over to Rose, taking her by the hand and pulling her away from his friend. “I think this is my dance,” Jack simply bowed away and took his seat back next to Amy.

John stepped in front of Rose and put his hand on her waist, his other hand in hers as he led her around the newly formed dancefloor.

“I thought you said you couldn’t dance,” Rose told him.

“I said I didn’t, never said I couldn’t,” John smiled back. He spun her around, then pulled her in closer against him.

“You planned this didn’t you,” Amy asked Jack as they sat at the table.

“Yep, and it worked perfectly,” Jack grinned back at her.

They continued to watch them as John and Rose danced perfectly in sync. Amy was happy for Rose, she hadn’t seen her friend fit so perfectly with someone as she did with John. The song ended as John dipped Rose low, both of them laughing. John brought Rose back upright and neither Jack nor Amy missed the glare John shot at Jack over Rose’s shoulder.

“I guess he told you,” Amy laughed at Jack.

“Point taken,” Jack said to her, “hands off the blonde.”

Rose climbed back into her seat, followed by John, and took a very long sip from her drink.

“I told you to slow down with that,” John teased as he watched Rose finish her drink to the last drop.

Rose placed the glass down and noticed John’s gaze following her tongue as she swiped it against her lips, savoring the last of the flavor, “why are you so worried?”

“Because, I’ve seen you after a couple of drinks, that’s why,” John answered.

“Oh yeah,” Rose teased, only this time her hand slid, slowly over his in a gentile caress and her voice lowered, “and what happened.”

John smirked and glanced at their two hands, then back to her, “from what I remember, you had playful little hands.”

Rose gave a quiet laugh and inched closer, “was it an unpleasant memory?”

“Only when you stopped,” he replied, his eyes darkening. 

Rose’s grin spread wide as several scenarios flipped through her mind, only she remembered that they weren’t alone. She glanced back at her friends who quickly averted their gaze, then she looked back at John and pulled her hand back bashfully. She watched his expression harden as he distanced himself and took another sip from his pint, looking away.

If that wasn’t enough to spoil the mood, Rory arrived with Mickey in tow. Everyone had to squeeze tighter together to fit into the booth, which was fine for Rose because she was practically in John’s lap now. Jack seemed pleased as well, after letting Rory sit next to Amy, he was now squashed between him and Mickey.

Rose’s main concern was John’s behavior around Mickey, thinking back on the previous day and how odd he acted. Luckily for her, John’s mood was much better this time around. He even shared a few stories at Jack’s expense, which had everyone laughing until they were out of breath. He also put his arm around Rose’s waist, holding her close to him.

Rose tried to behave herself, but John was right, Jack’s drinks were strong and she had two. That playful buzz was back in her brain and she couldn’t resist stroking his beard with fascination, she really liked it. John pretended to ignore it, until he saw the looks the group was giving them, particularly Mickey. He stopped her and placed a kiss inside her wrist that did not go unnoticed by anyone at the table. He then took her hand in his and held onto it for the rest of the evening.

* * *

 

The night wore down when Jack’s own drinks got to him. He was slumped on the table, trying to stay awake.

“I think we should call it a night,” Rose said and everyone agreed.

“What?” Jack protested, trying to sit up, “already.”

John and Rose stood up and John walked over to his friend, helping Mickey stand him up.

“Whoa,” Jack said, while grabbing Mickey a little too friendly, “the f-flooor ‘s uneven.”

“Or you’re pissed,” Mickey said. “How many of those things did you have anyway?”

“Two,” Jack said while smiling and holding up four fingers, “maybe fhree.”

Mickey grimaced at his breath and turned away, trying to hold Jack upright and Rose had to turn away, trying not to laugh at her friend.

“Bef…ffore we go…,” Jack said out loud as he pointed to the men’s room.

Mickey let him go, letting him fall against John, “oh no, I don’t know him that well.”

John caught Jack and huffed, “fine, come on,” and started dragging him away, “and to think I was worried about Rose drinking too much tonight,” John added.

“Yer always worry about her,” Jack slurred, smiling back at Rose while John tried steering him away, “you looovvvee her,” he sang loudly.

Once they were out of earshot, Rose and Amy burst into laughter, holding their sides. Amy looked at Rory, “well, go help him.”

Rory glanced behind him, then back at Amy, “with what?”

“I don’t know, you’re the one studying to be a nurse,” she said while shooing him away.

Rory threw his hands up, “fine,” and walked away.

He walked into the men’s room, already hearing Jack singing loudly before he even stepped foot inside. He saw Jack at the urinal as John kept one hand on his shoulder, looking away, and he looked cross.Rory wasn’t sure what to say or do so he asked, “do you need any help,” regretting it immediately.

“I’m done, but if you wan...want to helpf…” Jack said while trying to turn.

“No,” John yelled, holding him in place.

“Yer no f-fun,” Jack grumbled as he zipped his fly.

He guided Jack to the sink and watched him get more water on the floor than on his hands then led him back out to the waiting group, outside.

Rose already had a taxi waiting when they got out there and was saying goodbye to her friends. Amy hugged her and whispered something to her that made Rose look at John and laugh. He wasn’t sure what that was about, but his drunk friend was his priority right now.

Rose opened the door and John helped him in while sliding in next to him. Rose climbed in on the opposite side and gave the driver the address, then waved goodbye to her friends as they pulled away.

“You better not get sick,” John warned Jack.

“Nah, iron constitution,” Jack said proudly while patting his stomach. Then he grimaced, “oof.”

John looked ready to leap out of the moving vehicle, but Jack mearly slouched over and laid his head against John, already falling asleep.

“It’s going to be impossible getting him up those stairs, you know that,” John grumbled to Rose.

“Well, we could just lay him in the bushes, he wouldn’t even notice,” Rose joked.

John smiled at Rose’s comment, “I don’t want to be responsible for what he does, or I would.” He checked his friend’s breathing, just to be sure. A snore let John know everything was ok, then he shared a small laugh with Rose.

The ride was short, although for John it felt like an eternity, considering that his friend could get sick on him at any moment. Rose paid the driver, giving him a generous tip for his trouble, while John tried waking Jack and pulled him out of the car.

Jack mumbled nonsense to him as he stood on wobbly legs and they began their long journey up the stairs. “Whys s’ high?” Jack whined.

“Because it is, keep moving,” John urged while lifting Jack, step by step.

Rose went to Jack’s opposite side, wrapping her arm around him for support to give John a hand. They reached their floor and took a short break, as Rose stretched her sore back. “You’re a lot heavier than you look.”

“Nooo, ‘s all musssle,” Jack said, while trying to stand up straight, puffing out his chest. He nearly toppled over again and John caught him, again.

“Come on, we’re close,” John told him, pulling him along toward his flat.

“Tha’s what she said,” Jack giggled out.

Rose almost dropped Jack on her end when she burst into laughter, and Jack giggled with her. This happened right outside Rose’s door when it flew open, Jackie looking more shocked than anyone. “So it’s you three making all that noise,” she glanced at Jack, “Oh my god, he’s blattered,” she exclaimed.

Rose laughed, “Mum, go back inside. I’ll be home soon, yeah,” she struggled to lift Jack up.

“I’ll ‘s tay here…” Jack said, pointing inside.

“No you won’t,” Rose argued, “just keep moving.”

“Ha, thas what she ‘said,” Jack blurted out again.

Jackie shook her head and shut the door.

Finally, reaching his flat, John unlocked the door and pulled him inside, leading him to his bedroom, ignoring Jack’s comments as they got him in there. Jack pushed John away when he reached his bed, then fell into it, grumbling incoherently.

Rose pulled Jack’s shoes off and pulled his blanket over him while he complained about the room spinning. Then she turned out his light and left the room. She walked toward the lounge, which was still dark, but lights coming through the windows helped her to see John clearly. He was leaning against the back of the couch, watching her approach.

“Is this why you refuse to let him travel with you,” she asked laughing.

“That among other things, he can be a handful,” John said.

Rose pulled off her coat, leaving her in just a t-shirt, then tossed it on the couch before leaning against the wall across from John, “it could be worse, he could be an angry drunk.”

John nodded and gave a small smile, “yeah, I suppose,” then he laughed, “at least he wasn’t naked this time. Imagine explaining that to your mother.”

Rose sputtered out a laugh and John laughed along with her and added, “believe me, there are just some things you can’t un-see.”

Rose laughed even harder at that and needed a moment to calm down, taking a few deep breaths with giggles in between. She managed to stop and look back at John who was watching her intensely.

“How about you, how are you feeling,” the laughter in his voice gone.

Rose stayed where she was, against the wall, suddenly realizing that they were, technically, alone for the first time that night. “Fine,” she stuttered out in her nervousness. “You were right, those drinks were strong, but I think I just worked them off by carrying Jack upstairs,” she giggled a little but stopped when John stood up straight.

“Are you sure,” John said as he took a few, short, steps closer to her. “Because I remember a little conversation we had earlier,” his left arm came up and he pressed his palm against the wall beside her head, his blazing blue eyes staring deeply into hers, “about your playful little hands.” His free hand reached for hers and he brought it to his lips. He placed a kiss to her knuckles without ever taking his eyes off her, “and tonight was no exception.”

“I remember,” she breathed out, she could feel her heart hammering in her chest, “but, if you think it’s the drinks that make me want to do that, you’re wrong, it only makes me braver.”

“Oh yeah” John said as he placed her hand on his shoulder then wrapped his now free hand around her waist. His entire left arm was now splayed above her head and he was now pressed against her. Breaking eye contact, he leaned into her ear, remembering the way she reacted to him earlier, “then what makes you do that, Rose?” his voice at a low growl, his hot breath puffing against her skin, “because I want you to do it again.”

The heat of the moment alone was almost enough to drive her over the edge and she could feel the warmth pooling between her legs. “It’s you,” she lifted her opposite hand and trailed it up his chest, past his shoulder, and to the back of his head. She gently trailed her fingers along the short hair and heard him suck in a breath as she did. “When I’m with you, all I want is to put my hands on you,” she said. Her voice was shaky, not from nerves but pure excitement, and her breathing grew heavy.

His lips trailed along her cheek, “so this is ok?” His mouth stopped at the corner of her lips, waiting for the answer he knew was coming, he just wanted her to say it.

“Yes,” she groaned out before letting herself go. His mouth covered hers in a deep caress which made Rose’s knees grow weak. She tightened her arms around him, to keep from falling, and in response, he tightened his grip around her waist. It was a deep kiss, but his motions were slow and delicate.

It felt more amazing than Rose ever imagined and no kiss ever felt more perfect in her opinion. She was the first to increase the motions, but it was his tongue that rolled along her bottom lip which caused her to open her mouth with a gasp.

His tongue met hers then Rose drove forward and eventually managed to snag his bottom lip between her teeth, giving it firm tug and a gentle nip. John groaned loudly in response as his hand slid from her waist, down the curve of her bum, then to her thigh which he pulled up on. She followed his action, wrapping her leg around his waist and she felt his hardness pressing firmly against her sex.

With one hand under her bum, supporting her, and his other hand now fisting her hair, John grinded deep against her, slamming her into the wall with a loud thud. They were still dressed and John was already hitting the right places, making Rose gasp loudly against his lips. John pulled back, giving Rose the sexiest smirk she had ever seen. He grinded into her a second time, watching her reaction this time as she dropped her head back and gasped out again.

His eyes trailed down her exposed neck to her heaving chest, covered by a well fitted t-shirt. He dove down with a growl as he kissed and sucked down the front of her neck, stopping at the top edge of her shirt, then he trailed kisses up the side of her neck, the stubble from his beard added friction, driving her wild. He reached her ear again, breathing hard puffs of hot air against it, “you’re so beautiful, Rose,” he whispered before reclaiming her lips in another deep kiss.

Rose slid her leg back to the floor and her hands trailed from his head, down his back, then planted themselves firmly on John’s backside. She only got one squeeze in before knocking at the front door forced them apart in surprise. Rose looked at John, “who is it,” she whispered.

John shook his head and shrugged, then turned away to adjust himself shyly. His intention was to only kiss Rose, not dry hump her against the wall.

“Rose,” Jackie’s voice called through the door before she knocked again.

“Shit,” Rose grumbled, trying to flatten her messy hair and pat down her clothing to look presentable. She glanced over at John, who once again leaned on the edge of the couch only this time his hands were folded over his waist for obvious reasons. She opted on keeping the lights low and took a deep, calming, breath before opening the door.

“It’s about time,” Jackie said to her as she let herself in. She was carrying a pack of sports drinks and bananas with her as she passed John and headed to the kitchen. “Blimey its dark in here,” she said loudly while flicking on the lights, blinding them.

“Yeah, sorry,” Rose stuttered out, “we just got Jack to lay down in bed and didn’t want to disturb him.”

“Oh, that man…” Jackie grumbled, putting the drinks in the refrigerator. “I figured, considering the state he’s in now, that he is going to be miserable tomorrow. That’s why I brought him these,” she pointed at the drinks and the fruit. “It won’t cure him but it will help a lot, believe me.”

Rose laughed nervously, “yeah, I remember you telling me something about that combination before.”

“How is he then,” Jackie asked, walking back across the lounge toward Jack’s room.

“Probably miles away by now,” Rose answered, following her to the room.

Jackie cracked the door open to see Jack cuddled around his pillow, snoring loudly. Quietly she closed the door again, “He’ll probably be out for a while, I’m sure” she said walking back to the lounge. John was still in his same spot only this time he had a half-eaten banana in his hand. She put her hands on her hips and stared at John.

“What,” he asked innocently, his eyes darting between both women.

“Those are for your friend, who is probably in this state because of you, I’m sure,” Jackie scolded him.

He opened his mouth and Rose was sure what he was about to say wasn’t so nice, she held her hand up to silence him then took Jackie by the shoulders and pointed her at the door. “Ok, mum,” she said with a slight nudge in the door’s direction, “like you said, Jack won’t be up for several hours, so why don’t we get some rest too.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Jackie said. She opened the door and turned back to John, “you keep an eye on him and call one of us if you need anything.”

John looked at Rose who was at the door about to leave and he looked too cute in Rose’s opinion with his half-eaten banana and sad eyes. Jackie walked out the door and started heading back toward her door when Rose called to her, “I’ll be right there, I forgot my coat.”

She ran back inside, not only for her coat, but to kiss John one last time. She caught him a little by surprise this time at the momentum she put into it. He fell back against the couch and nearly lost his balance, along with Rose in the process, but he managed to keep a hold of Rose while catching himself. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue access. She savored the sweet banana flavor for a moment more before pulling back with flushed cheeks, then reached around him to grab her coat. “Bye,” she began walking backward toward the door, not wanting to take her eyes off him yet.

“Goodnight Rose,” John told her, watching her leave with a gentile smile.

The door clicked shut and Rose paused, wishing she could go back in and finish what they started, but she knew she couldn’t. She could still picture John, sitting there watching the door from the other side. She finally stepped away and wandered back to her flat, the taste of banana still ghosting her lips as she walked in the front door.

“That was fast,” Jackie called as Rose passed her bedroom door.

Rose stopped walking and leaned against the door frame, “I just needed to grab my coat.”

Jackie sat at her mirror, applying cream to her face, “please, you two had guilt written all over your faces.” She glanced up at Rose, “plus your hair is still a ruffled mess.”

Rose immediately started combing her finger through her hair.

Jackie looked back into the mirror, “…not to mention the walls in this building are paper thin.”

Rose didn’t speak, she looked down at her hands and started playing with her nails.

“I don’t mean to put you on the spot, sweetheart. I just don’t want you moving too fast.”

“It was just a kiss, that’s all,” Rose argued, but she could tell her Mum didn’t believe her. “Is this because he’s older?”

“No,” Jackie said, “Well, maybe a little, but I knew this was coming just by the way you’ve been talking about him. Then when he got here, I saw the way he would look at you, and the way he acted around you. I know you are going to be leaving with him again and…” Jackie stood and approached Rose putting her hands on her shoulders. “I just want the best for you.”

Rose hugged her, “I know mum, and believe me, he is.”


	34. Chapter 34

John looked down at his bloodied hands before he wiped them on his already blood stained clothes. An arm grabbed his and tugged on him, but the ringing in his ears deafened him. The man who tugged him, another soldier, shouted and pointed toward a military vehicle, and John understood that it was time to leave. The two ran back to the vehicle as John looked at the carnage that surrounded him. They accomplished their mission, but at what cost? So many innocent people were caught in the crossfire. Some of them too small to reach his knee if they were standing.

He climbed into the vehicle, noticing his friend Saxon already inside. He looked at John and laughed, the adrenaline still pumping through him, then began wiping the blood off a watch he had snagged along the way. The vehicle pulled away and John looked back. Smoke rose into the sky, turning it black before an explosion followed.

John jolted awake and sat straight up, sweat trickled down his face and stung his eyes. He wiped it away, and felt his heart was still racing. The rising sun lit up the lounge with an orange glow and Jack could still be heard snoring in the next room.

He stretched and stood up, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. Whenever he had these dreams, the images would stay with him whenever he closed his eyes. Instead, he pulled on some warm jogging clothes and decided to go for a run. Jack wouldn’t be awake for a while yet anyway.

Outside, he let his mind go numb as he focused on the sound of his feet pounding the pavement. The cold air stung his lungs with each steady breath. It was the therapy he needed, like meditation is for some. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed or how far he had run when he woke from his hypnotic state.

He slowed to a stop and began to stretch. He checked his watch and glanced at the buildings around him, realizing how far he had actually gone. He had a long trek back, which was no problem, he just hoped Jack would still be asleep or Jackie would hear about it. Not that she frightened him, he just didn’t want to hear her bickering after all she said last night.

He shook out his limbs and began his run back, letting current events seep into his mind. He hadn’t thought about the previous night since he woke up, his mind had been elsewhere. Now his mind was on Rose.

He thought about the first time he met her, which really seemed longer ago than few weeks it had been. He found her beautiful from the start, of course he did., he’s still a man, but he was never one to let a girl’s beauty get the best of him. He got her to safety, mission accomplished, and he told her to go home figuring that was the last he would ever see of her.

Then she appeared two more times, a record in his book, it was as if the universe wanted them together. Since she was already involved, and now sitting at the table with one of the men they had been tracking, he agreed with Jack to let her help them before they walked into the café that afternoon.

She was quick to catch on when the situation got heated and acted on instinct, then even helped him find the base he had been searching for afterward. She did everything he asked her to do and she did it brilliantly. Few people impressed him, but she did.

He remembered how he felt the next day when he decided to ask her to come with him, he swore to himself long ago that he wasn’t going to do that anymore, but he knew if he didn’t ask he would most likely regret it. He also expected her to say no, why would a girl her age drop everything and leave home to travel with a strange man nearly twice her age. 

Except she didn’t say no.

He told himself that this was to help her and not to get himself too attached. Like others, he wanted to see what she was capable of, then after that he could show her where she would be better off, if that is what she chose. He also told himself not to let that smile or those warm brown eyes distract him from this goal.

After arriving in America, she had to go and impress him again by figuring out Cassandra’s plan before he or River could, while looking stunning nonetheless. That’s also when he first realized that he was losing sight of his promise to himself, when he saw her talking to that other man and all he wanted to do was go out there, punch him in the throat, and steal Rose away.

On the cruise ship, he figured he could snuff those feeling by being apart from her, reminding himself that he is better off working alone(ish). Except now he found himself anticipating every moment with her, not matter how short.

Their time in Hawaii was an eye-opener, not just because of her behavior on the beach that first day, but how she acted after that. He didn’t miss the way she kept looking at him and he tried to ignore how she would cuddled closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder whenever he took her hand. Then came Mexico when she decided to let her hands speak for themselves.

He could have just given in that night as she cuddled with him in the bed and, if he didn’t have such a strong will, he would have. She wasn’t nervous around him, not like some girls would be in her situation, and he’s certain she had less revealing clothing to sleep in than what she chose that night. She’s the one who chose to get closer, and she’s the one who took his hand as he read. As for their final position, he’s fairly certain it was mutual.

Letting her go was like losing a part of himself, but he had his reasons, and she seemed just as upset about it as he did. His next few days weren’t much better, he found himself miserable being alone, and he just wanted to chuck his plans and go back to her. He couldn’t do that though, not with a man as dangerous as Saxon. After losing his phone, he grew more miserable because he knew he wouldn’t have the comfort of hearing her voice any time soon.

He was eager to come back, even though a small part of him worried that during her time home, Rose would decide to stay. That worry vanished when she hugged him and he knew he was complete again. Their playful flirting intensified after that leading to the kiss that occurred just a few short hours ago.

He’s imagined kissing her many times, he imagined doing a lot of things to Rose if he was going to be honest, but as far as kissing her for the first time he imagined it differently. Obviously, it was perfect, nothing ever felt more perfect in his life. He only thought he would take it slow and it would be just that, a kiss. Then she bit his lip, kicking his libido into gear and then she made that noise which really put him over the edge. He never thought he would lose control so quickly.

If Jackie hadn’t shown up, who knows how carried away they would have been. He did not want his first time with Rose to be in Jack’s apartment, she wasn’t a quick shag and once off. Then that thought hit him, the reality that Rose wanted him as much as he wanted her and eventually he would be showing her how precious she was to him.

He picked up his pace to get his blood pumping through his heart and not where it was headed. He shouldn’t let himself get carried away just yet, he barely just kissed her and now he was making plans to take her to bed. He shouldn’t be moving so fast, they shouldn’t be moving so fast.

All this led to the thought of “what now?” He brought her along, he got attached, he kissed her, and now his feelings for her are stronger than anything he ever felt before. So, where does this take them? Does this make them an actual couple, he didn’t know how these things worked? In the past, women just told him and he just went with it.

Are they going to become some kind of unstoppable power couple? By day, stopping bad guys, and by night…, “focus,” he reminded himself. What if she grows tired of living a life where she is always running, although he never tires of it. However, if that is what she decides, what would he do? Would he be willing to let her go, or would he finally choose to stop, settle down, get a mortgage, and live a normal nine to five life?

His few short hours at Torchwood the day before made him crazy and he imagined a life of doing that day after day. Could he do that? For Rose, he probably could, it just wasn’t ideal. Except Rose is different, that’s why she mesmerized him so much. She was the half that made him whole and it appeared that she wasn’t interested in staying still either.

The sun was higher by this point and the air grew slightly warmer, making his breathing easier as he reached the final stretch. He ran up the steps, keeping his speed, finally slowing down when he reached the top. He glanced at his watch when he reached Jack’s door, just after eight, “not a bad run,” he thought. He stepped inside and closed the door, listening for Jack who let out a loud snore indicating that he was still asleep. John gave a small laugh and continued inside to grab his clothes and have a shower.

He turned on the water, knowing how Jack’s plumbing was, he gave it time to heat up. He pulled off his clothes, tossing them into a pile in the corner and stood in front of the sink, staring at himself in front of the mirror.

He rubbed his hand along the short hairs on his head and leaned closer, surprised to see that none had gone grey. He checked his beard, not seeing any gray there either. He pulled back and wondered what Rose saw in him anyway. Not that he thought he was unattractive, he’s had women come on to him before, that cruise was no exception, but some of his features made him curious. She was beautiful, and her personality outshined her beauty. He’s seen the way other men look at her, not that he likes it, but he knows that she could probably have nearly any man she wanted. She even had a boyfriend when he met her, and she was quick to write him off. So, why him?

His eyes drew down to his chest and the red, circular scar under his right collarbone. He ran his finger over it, feeling the small indent in his skin. Courtesy of one Harold Saxon who shot him when John refused to let him loot the home of an innocent family caught at the center of war.

John called it an accident when asked about it later, giving his friend an easy way out, which he learned to regret later. Their friendship was severed after that and John left the military not long after, deciding he would rather do good for the world on his terms and not kill innocent people.

Steam gathered on the mirror and John knew the hot water kicked in. He stepped in and took a moment to enjoy the sting of the hot water on his skin as he let his mind wander.

When Rose sees that scar he’s going to have to tell her what happened and about Saxon. He never told anyone about his past because he wasn’t proud about it. He can’t take back what he had done or give people a second chance to live their lives. Although he tried to help them, there were just too many. The enemy had chosen a small town, thinking that they wouldn’t be touched with all the people living there. They were wrong and all those people had to suffer.

John remembered the ambush. People started running for their lives once the gunfire started. Bullets flew among them and John fired back. He will never forget the look in the woman’s eyes when she ran in front of him, catching him by surprise as she ran to safety, and he shot her in the chest. She wasn’t his target, the man far behind her was, but she got in the way. He took cover and froze in shock over what he had done. He didn’t stay like that for long, he was given orders to keep moving, “kill or be killed,” they said. After that, the rest is a blur. He doesn’t know how many people died that day by his hand and he never wanted to find out.

Rose deserves better than him, he thought to himself. She’s too good for him, too pure. He’s tainted and broken, he would only ruin her. He couldn’t do that to her, but he couldn’t let her go either. What was he supposed to do?

He turned off the water and stepped out, drying himself with one of Jack’s poor excuses of a towel and began to get dressed. One thought that occurred to him was maybe if he broke things off now, it wouldn’t be so painful and they could both move on with their lives. It’s not ideal, especially after what he had done last night, but they haven’t gotten so deeply involved that it would do any long-term damage, at least not for her.

He wasn’t keen on that idea, surely there is a better solution than that. Fully dressed now, he came out of the bathroom, steam pouring out the door behind him. He’ll think about it over breakfast, he thought, and coffee. Coffee is what he wanted most of all because he could smell it brewing as he approached the kitchen, only he never started any coffee.

He rounded the corner to find Jack looking horrid, but in good spirits as he drank an orange Gatorade and munched on a banana. Across from him sat Rose, smiling shyly when she saw him walk in.

“About time,” Jack said, “I hope you saved some water for the rest of us.”

“You’re up earlier than expected, both of you,” John told them as he leaned against the door frame.

“I’ve been up for a while and couldn’t fall back asleep,” Rose said, “I’m afraid I woke Jack up when I knocked though.”

“It’s ok Rosie,” Jack said with a weak smile, “you’re worth it.”

Rose laughed and shook her head, “I made coffee, you want some?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” John said, stepping further in the kitchen.

Rose stood up and made her way toward the coffee pot, crossing paths with John along the way. She stopped in front of him, and stared up at him with a faint, pink, tint in her cheeks. “Hi,” she said sweetly and quietly.

“Hi,” John mimed, smiling down at her.

She continued to look at him with a questioning look in her eyes, one John was certain he was giving her. His eyes glanced at his friend for a brief moment, then back to Rose, indicating that this was not the best time to kiss her. A look she understood. She gave a slight nod and her face fell.

It was a look that drove John mad, a look that he put on her face and he did not want to be responsible for it. Her eyes glanced away and she took one slight step backward and John exclaimed, “sod it,” and kissed her. He pulled back and was glad to see her smiling again before she stepped away around him to help with his coffee. Not that he needed it, but he appreciated it and she always knew exactly how much cream to add.

“Well, well, well, what’s this,” Jack said, suddenly in better spirits than before.

“Leave it Jack,” John told him and leaned against the counter, coffee in hand.

“Leave it,” Jack asked, “after watching you two dance around your feeling for each other these past few days, how can I?”

“Because I said so,” John told him. “Last thing I need is Jackie getting word of it.”

“Uh, about that…,” Rose began nervously biting her thumbnail.”

“You didn’t…,” John asked, horrified.

“Ooh, now you’re in trouble,” Jack teased.

John ignored him.

“Well she sorta of figured it out,” Rose told him then lowered her voice but not enough that Jack couldn’t hear, “after last night.”

Jack was now turned in his chair facing them with interest, “what happened last night?”

“Nothing happened,” John told him.

Jack smiled mischievously, “does it have anything to do with the loud slam I heard against my wall before I fell asleep?”

John tried to speak but no words came out.

“These are thin walls,” Jack continued, “I can hear all sorts of noises though them,” he glanced at Rose and winked.

Rose turned away from Jack, embarrassed, and buried her face in John’s chest. John put his coffee down and wrapped his arms around her, shooting Jack a look, “shut your mouth or I will shut it for you.”

Jack held his hands up in defeat, “understood.” He stood up on shaky legs, “I suppose I’ll go wash up, maybe it’ll help me feel better.”

Jack left the room as John continued to hold Rose, he still felt uneasy about the Jackie situation, “did she lecture you about it?”

Rose pulled her head back and rested her chin against his chest as she looked up at him, “she was surprisingly calm about it. She just didn’t want things moving too quickly.”

“Oh,” John said, his eyebrows raised in surprise, “I expected her to come over here and slap me or something.”

Rose laughed, “be glad she didn’t, my mum has a mean slap.”

“Good to know,” John smiled. He leaned down and kissed her, deeper this time, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was a long kiss, just less intense than the night before.

When the kiss ended, he looked down at her, “I don’t mind taking things slow, you know.”

“Didn’t seem that way last night,” Rose teased with a smile, “when you tried to show me just how impressive you were.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen, you just got me going.”

Rose gave a small, seductive laugh, “don’t think the feeling wasn’t mutual.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t,” John smiled back, “but, there’s no rush. I have no intentions of letting you go any time soon,” then he pulled her in for another kiss.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I've been working on this chapter forever, and the two after it. There's a lot in store for them, I hope you enjoy. Also, a big thank you all for reading, reviewing and leaving kudos. They make me smile to see that you all like it so far.

“So, what kind of phone are you looking for,” Rose asked John as they entered the surprisingly crowded phone shop.

“Nothing fancy, just a regular phone to make calls,” he took a look around the shop and saw everyone crowded around a display for the newest phone which was labeled as “The Phone of the Future.” He walked through the crowd and went straight for the basic phones.

Rose followed him, “you aren’t interest in one of those new phones?”

John gazed back at the crowd behind him then shook his head, “Nah, don’t trust ‘em, I like my privacy.”

Rose wondered what he meant by that but she supposed she would ask him about it later. A salesman approached them, a slim ginger with beady eyes and an aura of self-importance, and began to speak with John over Rose’s head. Refusing to let herself feel insulted, she wandered over to the display to see this new phone and what all the hype was about. The first thing she noticed was the size, it was huge and in her hand it felt even larger. She couldn’t imagine carrying it around, especially with the life she was now living.

Next, she scrolled through the phone, it wasn’t much different others like it, so why was this one earning so much buzz? There were no special apps, gadgets, or accessories, just a normal smart phone. At least in her opinion it was.

She glanced back at John to see him with his arms crossed tightly over his chest and she knew something frustrated him. “Everything all right,” she asked, returning to his side.

“That kid wouldn’t shut up about that new phone and what it can do,” John grumbled. “I told him I didn’t want that phone, just one of these,” he nodded toward the simpler phones, “then he continued telling me about that phone again, like it would change my mind.” He stared at the display in the distance, “I haven’t even heard of that company, Sat-Nett, but they are really pushing for everyone to get one.”

Rose realized that she hadn’t heard of it either, but she never paid much attention to those things. She was never one to follow the crowd, but it was odd how it seemed to overshadow everything else in the shop.

The salesman came back with the phone and looking at John as if his time had been wasted on him. While they finished his transaction, Rose went back to the display and picked up a brochure, hoping to find out more. She wasn’t sure why she felt so suspicious, maybe she was being paranoid after what John said. Still, a little background information couldn’t hurt.

John appeared at her side, taking her hand, “now that is settled, are you hungry? We can get some lunch.”

“Yeah, I know a great place for chips,” she said and led him out of the shop.

* * *

 

As they sat and ate, Rose continued reading through the brochure, which was more about the phone itself, but very little background on the company.

John watched her as she munched on a chip, reading quietly, and oblivious to everything around her. He gently took her wrist that belonged to the hand holding the brochure and brought it down, getting her attention. “I know I said it sounded unusual, but you don’t have to go and research the company for me.”

“I’m not,” Rose told him, “you just got me curious, that’s all. There isn’t much info in here anyway,” she placed the brochure on the table, out of the way, “I’m sure Mickey could do dig up some information, he’s good at that stuff.”

John cocked an eyebrow, but he didn’t make a comment. Instead he took her hand, now that it was free, “can we just talk? I mean, I was hoping to spend my day with you since we haven’t really had a proper date yet.”

Rose smiled, “so L.A. and Hawaii don’t count as dates to you?”

Johns thumb ran along her knuckles, “no, I was trying to keep things professional between us at that time.”

“Trying,” Rose asked, teasing him, “do you normally take your companions to fancy hotels, get them all dressed up, and take them out?”

“No,” John laughed, “that’s where my trying faltered. I didn’t recover too well taking you to Hawaii next either.”

“Then what about Mexico,” Rose asked with a sly grin. Her voice dropped low, “I’m sure you remember that night.”

“I remember vividly, including what you wore to bed,” his eyes trailed down her body as he thought back.

She grinned, “so you did notice…”

“How could I not,” John said, “it took every ounce of my willpower to keep myself under control, I’m just glad I had my book to focus on.”

“That was lovely, by the way,” Rose told him. “No one’s ever read to me before and sleeping with you was the safest I ever felt.”

“It was the best sleep I’ve ever had, to be honest,” John told her, “normally I toss around and wake up exhausted.”

“So, that’s not a date,” Rose teased.

John grinned, “ok, you win, we’ll call it a date.”

“Just, let’s keep that to ourselves. I don’t want to tell people I slept with you on the first date,” Rose cheeks reddened as she tried to laugh off what she just said and then glanced away, but she felt his eyes still on her. He told her he didn’t mind taking things slow but Rose wasn’t sure if she could, or wanted to. 

* * *

 

Much later that evening John walked Rose to her door. Rose spent the day showing him around for a change and told him a bit about her life growing up, hoping it would get him to open up a bit. He seemed very attentive as she told him stories, but he had nothing to offer on his end. Still, it was a good day and Rose was happy to have John with her again.

“You can come in if you want,” Rose told him as she ran a finger down his chest. “Mum should be asleep by now.”

John tugged her close to him and dipped his head low, “Rose Tyler, you are going to be the death of me,” then he kissed her hard. Rose slid her hands inside his jacket and wrapped her arms around his waist.

The door swung open and John immediately leapt away from Rose as if he got burned and met Jackie’s glare.

“It’s about time you brought her home,” Jackie scolded him. “It’s bad enough that you take her away to the other side of the world but you keep her out all day when she’s home too.”

“Mum, it was one day and I’m the one who kept us out, leave him alone.”

Jackie eyed John once more as if sizing him up, then shook her head and went back inside.

“I guess you won’t be coming in now,” Rose laughed. She was a little disappointed but figured it was for the best anyway.

John smiled, “not tonight, you just rest up and tomorrow we can make plans on where to go next.”

“I’d like that,” Rose smiled, “to be honest, being in one place for so long is suddenly so dull, I don’t know if I would ever be able to do it again. With you, I’m seeing things I only dreamed about and doing things I never knew possible. There is an entire world out there, no wonder you never stay still.”

John smiled, “not a bad life?”

“Better with two,” Rose replied.

John could not express how much joy her words brought him, all he could do was wrap an arm around her waist and tugged her close. He gazed into her eyes in amazement, “Rose Tyler, you are perfect,” then dipped her back, kissing her with everything he had.

It was a kiss Rose had only seen in old movies, she used to find it silly and cliche, but now she realized how brilliant it was. He stood her back on her feet and she staggered for a moment, surprised at how lightheaded a kiss could make her feel.

He pressed his forehead to hers, and he was just as winded from the kiss as she was. “I’ll see you tomorrow, until then, sleep well my Rose.”

She nodded, unable to find her voice as she found herself trapped in his gaze. He then kissed her once again before guiding her inside, watching her slightly stumble before shutting the door.

* * *

The following morning Mickey showed up at Rose’s door, his laptop in hand, “I got that information you wanted on Sat-Nett. I’ll admit, it is a little strange.” He then gave her a brief rundown about what he found.

She left her flat and shut the door behind her, “come on,” she said and headed toward Jack’s door. John opened the door when she knocked and he looked a tad surprised, not expecting to see Mickey there with Rose. Before he could speak Rose began, “Mickey has some background on that Sat-Nett company,” and she pointed to the laptop in his hand. “I think it’s worth looking into.”

John stepped aside to let them in, then stopped Rose, “you could have told me you were asking him to do this.”

“I did, at lunch yesterday, or did you forget,” she stood on her toes and kissed him, then walked further inside and John knew there was no point in arguing.

They sat at the table and Mickey pulled up some information, “I got what I could but there is nothing on the company more than a year old, they seriously just popped up out of nowhere.” He clicked through some pages that had a lot of reading, “the company was founded by a Joshua Bell and Robert Greyson. It says Robert Greyson had the money and Joshua Bell had the brains, he was a genius actually.”

“Was,” Rose asked immediately.

Mickey clicked his mouse and opened a newspaper article, “Joshua Bell went missing a month ago.”

“Does it say why,” Rose asked.

Mickey shook his head, “no, he disappeared without a trace. No notes, no evidence, not even a ransom demand, he’s just…gone. What’s even more strange is that he wasn’t the first to go missing. At least a half dozen other employees have gone missing over the past year, Joshua is the most recent.”

“What about Greyson,” John asked.

“He’s still around as far as I know. Aside from the article stating that he went to school with Joshua Bell and that he came from a wealthy family in America, I can’t find any other background info on him.”

John leaned over Mickey’s shoulder, “ok, so how about this phone, what info do you have on that?”

Mickey closed what he had open and opened a whole new set of windows, “it’s called the Rebel, and it outperforms any phone out there by at least three times, for half the price. I don’t know how they do it, nobody does.”

“Does it do anything else,” John asked, “anything other phones can’t do.”

“Aside from having an amazing camera and that it downloads information faster than any high end computer, not really. It’s growing in popularity all over the U.K. and quickly. They hope to go worldwide within the next year.”

“Do you have one,” John asked him.

“Well, yeah, who doesn’t,” Mickey said and reached into his pocket to pull it out.

John took it from him and sat at the table examining it, he pulled his sonic out of his coat pocket and started flashing it at the screen, which lit up immediately, giving John access.

“How did you unlock it,” Mickey asked, he stood to grab the phone back but John held him back.

“Don’t worry, I won’t look at your browsing history,” John teased, “I just want to see something.” He was looking at his phone’s storage and pointed at one folder in particular, “this here, it’s labeled S-files, do you know what it’s for?”

“No, Mickey said, I never even paid attention to it.

“It’s using a quarter of your phone’s storage and you were never curious,” John asked and tried opening the file but it said _no access_. “That’s strange,” John mumbled as he tried his sonic again to unlock it, and the phone shut down.

“What did you do,” Mickey whined, snatching it back. He turned it back on and found everything was erased, “you wiped my phone,” he complained.

“No, I think that was a protection mechanism,” John said, snatching it back, “it probably wipes everything clean when it gets hacked, very interesting.” He went back to the folders and everything was gone but the S-Nett folder was still there and still used just as much memory as before.

Without saying a word, John flipped the phone over and started taking it apart. He pulled a small screwdriver out of his pocket to open the back.

“Do you always have that in there,” Rose asked, not exactly surprised.

“Never know if you’ll need one,” John murmured and popped off the casing to reveal in innards of the phone.

“I hope you know how to put it all back together,” Mickey grumbled but John ignored him.

The two watched John as he inspected the inside of the phone, but sighing when he couldn’t’ find anything out of the ordinary. Jack entered the room and glanced at the three, “it looks like I’m late to the party,” he joked.

John hopped out of his seat and handed the phone pieces to Jack, “do me a favor, take this to Torchwood and inspect everything. Let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary.”

Jack looked the phone over, “this is one of those new Rebel phones, nearly half of London has one.”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” John told him then turned to Mickey, “where’s this company located?”

“Here in London,” Mickey said.

 “Rose, Mickey…” John signaled for the two to follow him, “we’re going on a field trip.”

Mickey looked at Rose, “why me?”

“Just, come on,” Rose told him with a tug on his arm and they followed John out of the flat.

* * *

A short while later, the three stood outside the Sat-Nett building and examined it from a distance. It was a sharp looking, white, five story building with plenty of large, tinted, windows and the name Sat-Nett at the top in silver lettering which glistened in the sun.

“We can’t just walk in there,” Mickey said, “I’m sure you need some type of id to get in.”

“Yeah, probably,” John agreed, “why don’t you go in and ask?”

“Wha-, why me?” Mickey stammered, “why don’t you do it?”

“Because you seem less…intimidating,” John said, “now go, Rose and I will wait back here.”

Mickey groaned and walked away while shaking his head.

“You do know that Mickey has no idea what kind of work you do,” Rose commented.

“It doesn’t matter, he still did what I asked,” John told her as they watched Mickey walk toward the building. 

* * *

 

Forty-five minutes later Mickey came back, it took him what felt like ages to find John and Rose because he no longer had a phone to call them with. He wandered through the crowd, peering over heads and spotted them chatting quietly with one another. John had his back against a light post and Rose stood directly in front of him with her hands pressed against his chest. Mickey rolled his eyes and came to their side and they didn’t even notice, so he cleared his throat.

They both looked at him surprised and Rose took a small step back but John put an arm around her waist to keep her close. John smiled at him, “Mickey, hey…,”

“Hey? That’s all you have to say? You sent me into that building forty-five minutes ago.”

John glanced at his watch, “wow, look at that…”

Mickey’s mouth fell open, “weren’t you two waiting for me?” He stared between them, “you forgot about me, didn’t you,” the hurt in his voice was evident.

“No, Mickey,” Rose said apologetically, “we just lost track of the time.”

“I’ll bet,” Mickey snapped looking between them.

John stepped forward, “just shut up and tell me what you found out.”

Mickey sighed then started talking, “like I thought, there is a lot of security and you need a badge to enter, but they did give me a short tour through the first floor. It’s like a whole other world in there. They have restaurants, massage chairs, little shops, and even a couple of rooms just for napping. There was no real work being done down there aside from offices with sales reps. The real work is done upstairs.”

“So, how are we going to get in there to see what’s on the other four floors,” Rose asked. “Unless you can get us some badges or something.”

Mickey reached in his pocket and pulled out a brochure and handed it to them, “I grabbed this on my way out, it lists all the jobs they are hiring for. I figured maybe if one of you can get hired there, then maybe you can get access to the upstairs.”

“I’m sure there is a line of people who are fighting to get a job there,” Rose said.

“Not if you have a background they can’t pass up,” John mentioned. He looked at Mickey, “how good are you with computers?”

“I know, a bit of coding and stuff,” Mickey said, “I can usually figure them out.”

“Good,” he turned to Rose.

“Don’t look at me,” Rose said, “I don’t even own a computer.”

“We’ll think of something,” John pulled out his phone to call Jack and walked away, telling them to stay put.

Rose fidgeted, then said, “thanks for that…for helping us and all.”

Mickey stuck his hands in his pockets and looked toward John, “yeah, well, it seems like he’s not done with me yet.” He looked back at Rose, looking puzzled, “wait, why are we doing this anyway?”

“It’s just what he does,” Rose told him with a shrug.

John walked back to them, “come on, we’re going to Torchwood.”

Mickey looked at Rose, “where?”

“Where Jack works,” Rose said and pulled him to follow. 

* * *

 

Torchwood was nothing like Rose expected, she thought there would be a lot of guards and security. Not the one single man who waved them by. Inside, people just worked, normally, no top secret meetings, robots or aliens. Just people at desks typing on computers. John guided them through the building, toward the back where Jack had his own office.

Jack was all smiles when they walked in, “so, Rosie is at it again,” and motioned for them to sit in the three chairs across from his desk.

“It seems like it,” John said. He didn’t sound as pleased as Jack but not angry either, so Rose didn’t know what his mood was. He stood to the side, rather than sitting, his arms crossed in their usual manner. “Mickey the idiot did all the background work and that’s his phone I gave you this morning.”

Mickey leaned toward Rose and whispered, “I think I prefer him calling me Rickey,” and Rose patted him on the back apologetically.

“So, that’s why he’s here,” Jack asked.

 “Yep, he’s already involved, may as well keep him around. Besides, he can work a computer, so that might be useful later.”

“It depends on if he’s up for it,” Jack said while looking at Mickey.

Mickey looked lost as he looked from Jack to Rose to John to Rose and back to Jack. “I don’t know…I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to.”

“Working at Sat-Nett, but actually helping us figure out what’s happening behind closed doors,” Jack explained.

“I don’t have any kind of degree, I just learn as I go, I don’t know if I could…” Mickey stammered.

“I’ve seen the things you can do on a computer,” Rose said in an assuring tone, “I know you could manage, at least for a short while.”

“What about you two,” Mickey asked John and Rose, “where will you be?”

“We’ll be around some way or another, only we would have to pretend like we are complete strangers.” He looked at Rose, “we don’t want another incident to happen like on the ship.”

“What happened on the ship,” Mickey asked curiously.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Rose assured him. She put her hand on his, “just give us a hand, at least for a while. If you don’t like it, I’m sure Jack can help you get out of it.”

Jack nodded in agreement.

Mickey looked back at John who looked as intimidating as ever then he looked back at Rose, “ok, I’ll do it,” he held onto Rose’s hand, “only because you need me.”

John rolled his eyes dramatically, but nobody noticed.

“Ok," Jack said while picking up the phone, “we have a lot to do if we are going to make this work.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a build up chapter, lots of things are coming up after this.

John didn’t celebrate New Year’s, just like he didn’t celebrate Christmas, or any other holiday for that matter. He never saw the point in it, at least not since he was a child. So, why was he now sitting in a pub, ten seconds until midnight, as the crowd counted down the last few seconds of the year. Of course, the answer being, for Rose. Just like every other uncharacteristic thing he has done these last few weeks, he did just to see her smile.

At only twenty years old, she could do to John what no other woman had been able to do, make him slow down. Normally, he would have already been getting himself into some sort of trouble or sneaking around places he shouldn’t be in. Yet, here he was, watching this beautiful girl whose eyes kept wandering to him and he had to wonder to himself, “why him?” He was older, not pretty like the other boys she’s dated, and then there was his past. A memory he kept hidden behind a strong wall that had only grown stronger over the years.

That’s the wall that separated him from Rose. Of course, they were together, but as long as he kept that part of himself hidden away from her, she was no different than anyone else in his life. He just feared how she would react when he told her, fearing he might lose her. That’s a chance he had to take, because he’d never be able to give himself over to her fully until he did. This never bothered him in the past, but for Rose, she needed to know everything about him so he didn’t pollute her with his lies.

Everyone around cheered, snapping him out of his thoughts, then they began singing as fireworks could be heard overhead. Rose was yanked into a hug by her mum and Mickey was close behind, stealing a kiss on the cheek that John tried to ignore. Then she made her way back to him, sidestepping a pretty boy who had been trying to flirt with her all night and failed. She sat on John’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, “you know it’s customary to kiss when you enter the new year.”

“Is it now,” James smirked, glancing over Rose’s shoulder to see Jackie far too involved with the man tending the bar to pay them any attention. He returned his gaze to her eyes before she lowered her head to his and met his lips in a soft kiss. She could feel his smile grow as her lips caressed his and she smiled in return. The kiss was short, as much as she loved kissing John, she knew that making a display in the pub with her mum present wouldn’t be the best idea. Still, John grinned smugly over her shoulder at the boy who had his eye on her, making it known that she was off limits. 

* * *

 

Two hours later they were back at Rose’s flat, Jackie was happily asleep after John helped Rose walk her home. Rose laughed as she plopped down on the sofa next to him, “were a good team when it comes to escorting people home.”

“Yeah,” John smiled, “not quite the adventure I had in mind, but still interesting.”

“What did you have in mind,” Rose asked, “I hope you weren’t planning on causing trouble.”

“Since when do I cause trouble,” his tone defensive as he pouted.

Rose made a contemplating face as she pretended to think hard, “well, there was that time you blew up my job.”

“I only did what was necessary,” John said, “if anything, I showed up just in time, before the real trouble started, including coming to your rescue.”

“Point taken,” Rose pressed a kiss to his lips then laid her head on his shoulder while lacing her fingers with his.

“How did Jack manage to get Mickey and me a job there so quickly?”

“That’s what he does,” John kissed the top of her head. “He was a very persuasive con-man when I met him, now he uses his talents to do good.”

“What about you,” Rose asked.

“I’m gonna go around and talk to the families of the missing people, hopefully find something to help us. Someone needs to do it, and I can’t work in a building every day for who knows how long.”

“Yeah, but what if we have any problems,” Rose asked doubtfully.

John caressed her cheek, “I know you’ll handle everything just fine, you’re brilliant Rose.”

Rose nuzzled his hand, “I think you have too much faith in me.”

“I don’t think you have enough faith in yourself,” he answered seriously.

Rose held his gaze, he always spoke to her with such honesty and his confidence in her was astounding. She leaned over and kissed him, harder than she did when they were at the pub. He kissed her just as deeply in return while his fingers slipped into her hair. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket, tugging him to her and he obediently followed, crawling over her as she laid back on the sofa.

His weight wasn’t crushing and she actually enjoyed the light pressure of his body. He was the first to let his tongue dart into her mouth and she gasped in surprise, but quickly recovered as she let him take control. He hadn’t kissed her this passionately since that first time at Jack’s and Rose didn’t want him to stop, but they were still on her mum’s couch. He was reminded of that fact when Jackie’s loud snore from the other room snapped him out of his pursuit and he tumbled off Rose, to the floor.

Rose shouldn’t have laughed, she didn’t want to, but the speed which John moved was unreal. “Of all the trouble you get yourself into, you sure are jumpy around my mum,” she helped him sit back up.

John climbed back onto the sofa, “she already stares at me with skepticism, how would she react if she saw me groping her only child? On her couch for that matter.”

“She’d probably slap you,” Rose giggled.

“Yeah,” James exhaled, “I want her to trust me, and to know that you’re with me because you’re smart and cunning. Not because you are young and gorgeous, he kissed her cheek, “that’s just a bonus.”

Her cheeks reddened, “ok Casanova, ease up on the charm.”

He giggled and rested back on the sofa to hold Rose in his arms while the night was quiet. 

* * *

 

 Two days later, Rose was starting her new job under a new name that Jack had given her and hoped that she didn’t screw this up. It was simple work, she manned the front desk, answered phones, greeted visitors, and ran small errands. Still, it was mind numbingly boring.

By the afternoon, Rose was running out of things to do and the phones weren’t ringing much so she started doodling on the notepad in front of her.

“Is that the deathly hallows,” a man’s voice said from the opposite side of the counter.

Rose dropped the pen and hopped to her feet, “sorry, I was just…”

“Don’t be,” the man smiled. His accent was American but Rose couldn’t determine from which part. He smiled with perfectly white teeth that only accented his already gorgeous features. He was well groomed, in an expensive grey suit, his black hair combed back, green eyes, and a square jaw. He also had thick eyebrows which shouldn’t look good, but they seemed to make him just that more attractive.

Rose stopped staring and looked down at the paper, “well, as you can see, my art skills aren’t up to par so I’ll have to do this job until I get famous.”

The man chuckled and held out his hand, “I’m Robert Greyson, are you new here?”

Rose stammered when she realized who she was chatting with then took his hand in a firm shake, “yes sir, I just started today.”

“Well, let me give you a tip if you want to get on the boss’ good side,” he leaned closer as if it were a secret, “don’t call him sir.”

Rose’s cheeks reddened, “sorry, sir…I mean Mr. Greyson.”

He looked at her cock-eyed for a moment, “I think we are going to have to work on that,” then smiled to show Rose that he was harmless.

He began to leave and waved goodbye, “have a good day.”

Rose waved back then slumped in her chair, that was a bit awkward. 

* * *

 

Mickey started the following day, he was put on an internship but he still wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing. All he knew was, he couldn't be friends with Rose, he had to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and to much annoyance, his name was now Ricky. 

He checked in and met his mentor who showed him around, introduced him to different people, and showed him the software they were working on. It seemed quite complicated for Mickey but luckily, they weren’t expecting him to jump in and work right away. For now he was just going to do odd jobs for them while getting to know the company.

* * *

 

The first thing on John’s mind when the week started, was to find a flat and get out of Jack’s before he went mad. He never intended to stay there that long, or anywhere for that matter, but if he was forced to stay in one place, he may as well have some space to be alone. This wasn’t the first time he had to rent a flat, he just didn’t care to.

With a little help from Jack, he found a fully furnished one bedroom not too far from the Sat-Nett building. It wasn’t huge, but it didn’t need to be. He was just glad to get some space away from Jack. After getting his key, John gathered his things from Jack's then left to move himself in.

He reached the new building and carried his duffel over his shoulder while running up the stair to his flat, number 302. As he reached the door, the neighbor’s door opened and out stepped a plain looking blonde woman who appeared to be a nurse, judging by the scrubs.

She looked over at John who was unlocking his door, “oh, are you new here?”

“Yeah,” John smiled and opened the door, tossing in his bag.

“Just you,” she asked, stepping to his door after he stepped in.

“Just me,” John said with a simple nod, “so I won’t be making too much noise.”

“No worries,” the woman smiled, “I’m often working anyway, but if I’m home, feel free to stop by.”

“Will do,” John said, waiting for the woman to finally leave, but she didn’t. He pointed at his bag, “well, I’m just gonna go and unpack so…”

The woman finally understood, “yes, sorry.” She backed away, “I’m Joan by the way.”

“John,” he told her and shook her hand before saying bye and closing the door. She could be just as annoying as Jack, John thought to himself then got to unpacking. 

* * *

 

For Rose, every day seemed to be the same thing. Answering phones, taking messages, greeting people, and doing anything to stay busy while still trying to find some clues, which she didn’t. Robert Greyson made a daily appearance as well, sometimes more than once. He always greeted Rose with a cheerful smile and asked how she was liking the job. She told him it was going well, then he would walk away and go upstairs as usual.

By the beginning of the following week, Rose was given a message to take upstairs to Mr. Greyson himself. She stepped onto the lift and went up to the fourth floor, feeling nervous for no real reason.  The doors to the lift opened and she stepped off, walking toward his large office straight ahead. She stood tall and confident as she approached and when he saw her coming he stood from his chair and greeted her with a smile.

“What brings me the pleasure of your company,” he said smoothly then gestured to a seat across from him.

“No thank you,” Rose said, “I was just told to bring you this message,” she handed him the small envelope and he took it graciously.

She took a step back and he stopped her, “please, just sit a moment.”

She stepped cautiously forward and sat down, Robert took a moment to read the note then put it in his pocket. He sat down in his chair and studied Rose for a moment, “how are things going for you downstairs?”

“Good,” Rose said honestly, “I haven’t had any problems yet.”

He quirked a smile, “tell me about your background, what brought you here?”

Rose sat frozen, Jack gave her a fake background that she mostly forgot so she decided to make something up but make it believable. “Well, to be honest, I haven’t had much schooling. I plan on going back soon but I wanted to find a job that would maybe point me in the right direction.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, his eyebrows raised. He scooted closer and leaned on the desk, “you see, my secretary just got promoted and I need someone to take her place. If you are looking at moving up, I can help you and even help you with school if that is what you want.”

Rose was surprised at the offer, there were more people who are better qualified to take a position working for Greyson directly, so why her. Well, she had an idea why and although it wasn’t an ideal situation, it was still a step up that might help her find any information they were looking for. She just needed to be sure he understood that she wasn’t interested in anything more than work.

She took a shaky breath, “ok, I think that could work.”

“Good,” Robert grinned, “you can start tomorrow, come in at eight and head straight up here.”

Rose stood up and shook his hand, “thank you Mr. Greyson.”

He shook her hand back, “no, thank you, but if you are working for me I insist you call me Robert.”

Rose swallowed nervously, “ok…Robert.” 

* * *

 

Mickey was quite happy with how easily he molded into the company. Sure, he was running errands for the other employees, but he also got to learn how their systems work and what they were designing next. He was told there was more being worked on up on the fifth floor, but that was top secret and only their best employees got promoted up there.

Right now, they were designing face and voice recognition software. It wasn’t any kind of new technology, basically any phone on the market had it. What they wanted was something that could work in any type of light, from any distance, and with any amount of noise in the background. They wanted a flawless system to take away the annoyance of not being able to use a phone properly in those conditions.

Rose was right, although he refused to admit it himself, he could figure out their software easily just by fiddling with it. They even let him practice on their latest project to see if he had anything to add. This gave Mickey access to many files within their system for him to explore, he just needed to do it discreetly. 

* * *

 

John’s two weeks weren’t quite as productive as Rose or Mickey’s. After moving into his flat, he set out to find any close friends or family of those who had gone missing. Not all of them lived in London either, some lived as far as Brighton so he spent much of his time on trains, traveling to find these people, and sometimes staying a night or two.

He heard the same story from each person he spoke with, which was that the person who had gone missing mysteriously disappeared. They weren’t unhappy and there was nothing suspicious going on with them beforehand. The only thing they seemed to have in common was, like Joshua Bell, they were all geniuses, or close to it.

While riding the train back, John went over his notes. He didn’t believe any of these people were dead, just missing, and whoever was kidnapping them needed them for something to do with the technology within these phones. Now, figuring out who it was and where these people were being kept was what he needed to figure out.

John put all his stuff away, knowing he needed a break before he lost focus. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Rose.

“Well, look who finally decided to call,” Rose teased.

John chuckled, “I told you it would be a bit, how are things over there?”

“Nothing really unusual as far as I can tell, but on another note, I got a promotion.”

“Did you now,” John said, “doing what?”

“Private secretary for Robert Greyson,” Rose spit the words out quickly then held her breath.

John took a deep breath and held it, as much as he wanted to congratulate her, he also had a feeling that there may be an ulterior motive behind this promotion. Still, he trusted Rose and wanted her to know that.

“Well,” he began, “that could be helpful.”

“It is,” Rose’s smile could be heard in her voice, “I was nervous that you would think it was a bad idea.”

“No,” John tried sounding upbeat, “I think you can handle it just fine.”

“Thanks,” Rose said, “so, are you on your way back?”

“About twenty minutes away,” he told her.

“Any plans,” she asked.

John grinned, “why, did you have something in mind?”

“Chips?”

“Alright, Rose Tyler, chips it is.”

* * *

 Thirty minutes later John walked into the restaurant and found Rose seated at a table, waiting for him. He walked up and swept her into his arms and she kissed him deeper than he was comfortable with in public, but it had been two days since he’d seen her so he let it pass.

“You shaved,” Rose said with a bit of disappointment. She stroked his chin, missing the beard, but still finding him gorgeous.

John smiled, “people are more comfortable talking to a clean-shaven man, don’t ask me why, they just are.”

“Well,” Rose said with a kiss to his cheek, “beard or not, I still think you’re handsome.” She sat back down in her chair and glanced up at him from her menu, “you’ll grow it back again, won’t you?”

John chuckled and leaned over to kiss her on the temple, “anything you want, Rose.” 

* * *

 

After they ate John walked Rose home, it was a long walk which gave them plenty of time to chat. Halfway, they took a seat on a bench to rest for a while. It was chilly and although Rose had on a nice coat, hat, and scarf, she still cuddled against John.

“How’s Mickey doing,” John asked, the words felt strange coming from his mouth.

Rose perked up, “he’s doing great, at first they had him getting coffee and running around doing silly jobs but now he’s working with the design team and using their software.”

John looked a bit surprised, “good, he still knows what his real purpose is though, right?”

“Yes,” Rose droned, “he’s trying to find out anything he can, so far he hasn’t told me anything.”

John nodded lightly and let his thoughts wander, “So…Greyson…how did you get that promotion?”

Rose grinned at the jealousness in his tone, but he didn’t see the smile because her head was resting on his shoulder. “I was dropping off a message yesterday, he asked me what my plans for the future were, then offered me the position.”

“That’s it,” John stiffened and Rose felt it.

She sighed, “yeah, not that I don’t think he may have other ideas, but that’s not why I accepted the offer.”

“Rose,” John turned her to face him, “that’s not what concerns me, I have complete faith in you to do what’s right. It’s him that makes me uncomfortable, so if you need me to step in...”

“I’ll be fine,” Rose cut him off, “I haven’t given him any indication that I am the least bit interested.” 

* * *

 

A short while later, John walked Rose the rest of the way home. When they reached her door, Rose stopped, “I’d invite you in but I know how mum is with you and how you are with her.”

“It’s all right, I should go and unpack anyway,” John held up his bag to show her, “then, I need to think of my next plan of action.”

Rose crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, realizing that she was unintentionally mimicking John. “You know, I still haven’t seen your flat.”

“Not much different than yours,” John shrugged, “except I don’t have pink walls and a teddy bear.”

Rose rolled her eyes and pushed away from the wall, “why do I get the feeling you don’t want me there.”

“It’s not that I don’t, Rose,” John rubbed his hand over his head, “I just don’t want us getting…distracted.”

“You are the first man I’ve ever met who’s trying not to have sex.”

“Why is that so surprising,” he asked.

“Everything about you is surprising, John Smith.”

“I could say the same about you, Rose Tyler,” he leaned down and kissed Rose before saying goodnight. 

* * *

 

John reached his flat, longing for bed, when he spotted Joan standing outside. How that woman always knew when he was coming home was beyond him, especially at this hour.

“Welcome home Mr. Smith,” she said pleasantly.

John forced a small smile, “thanks.”

“You know,” she walked in front of his door, blocking him from unlocking it, “you’ve been here nearly two weeks and I don’t know what it is you do. I see you travel often,” she glanced at his bag in hand, “so it must be something exciting.”

“Sales,” John said plainly, he was too tired to try and be friendly.

“I see,” Joan didn’t seem put off, “what do you sell?”

“Pharmaceuticals,” he reached around her to unlock his door.

“What a coincidence,” Joan finally moved out of his way, “considering I’m a nurse and all.”

“Yeah,” John stepped into his flat, “but, right now I’m extremely tired from traveling. So, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna cut this short.”

“Oh right,” Joan stepped back, “sorry, I’ll see you later Mr. Smith.”

John nodded and shut the door, she is exactly the type of woman he’s spent years avoiding.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this update took forever, sorry. There was one detail holding me up and I couldn't find a way around it. Then I just cut it out completely and suddenly it all made sense again, not sure why I didn't do that in the first place. Of course I got a little sidetracked by my other story so that didn't help, but here it is finally. Please forgive my tardiness on this.

The next morning Rose arrived early. Robert looked amused by her eagerness and watched her walk in, “twenty minutes early, very impressive.”

“I just didn’t think it would be wise to be late on my first day,” she spoke quietly.

The corners of Roberts lips quirked, “do you plan on being late on the other days then?”

“What?” Rose tensed, “no, it’s just…”

“Relax, I’m kidding,” Robert stood and walked to the front of his desk to greet her. “I’ve got a few things to take care of at the moment, but I’ll show you to your desk for now.” He walked out of the office and showed Rose to a roomy desk just outside his door. “You’ll probably want to set things up the way you like them, make it your own. Decorate it a little, maybe add some pictures of friends, or a boyfriend maybe…”

“I like to keep my personal life separate,” Rose said and took a seat in the chair and glanced around, she never had her own desk before.

“Understood, I’m the same way,” Robert smiled, “go on and settle in, I’ll call you when I need you.”

“Thank you,” Rose smiled back as she got herself familiar with her new work space. 

* * *

 

Mickey was looking suspicious today, or at least he felt like he looked suspicious. The sweat on his brow didn’t help. He was left on his own as always, with a computer to work on and very little supervision. They trusted him, he had done nothing but earn their respect since day one and now he felt like he was betraying them. Of course, if he didn’t help John and Rose, that would be betraying them as well. That’s why he was there, for Rose, and he wanted to help her all he could.

He glanced around, watching everyone around him busy at work. Then he pulled out a memory stick and popped it in the computer. Within minutes, Mickey had several files loaded onto the little stick that he popped out and quickly slipped into his pocket, hoping it went unnoticed. Somehow, it felt too easy and that was a bit unnerving. 

* * *

 

Rose tapped away at the computer on her desk, exploring all the new files, and was so overwhelmed that she didn’t hear her names being called. Or maybe it was because it wasn’t her name, Jack gave her a false identity under the name Belle and she still was getting used to it.

“Belle,” Robert called again and Rose hurried over.

“Sorry,” she stammered.

“It’s fine,” his smiled and Rose wondered why he was being overly nice. He showed Rose around his office, explained his schedule, and how to find his contacts for everything from colleagues to his favorite sandwich shop. Once he finished with that he handed her a phone, the same kind that Mickey had earlier, “I’m sure you have a phone of your own, but this one is for work.”

Rose stared at the phone suspiciously.

“Don’t worry,” Robert said, noticing Rose’s expression, “I’m not going to call you in the middle of the night to bring me ice cream.”

Rose laughed nervously, she was more afraid of him calling her for other reasons.

* * *

 

John arrived home that evening to find Joan waiting for him as always.

“Oh good,” she said happily, “I was just preparing dinner and realized I’m out of eggs, do you have a couple I can borrow?”

“I think so,” John said as he unlocked the door and entered his flat, followed by Joan who invited herself in.

Closing the door behind her, she followed John to the kitchen, “you sure do keep things to a minimum.”

 “I don’t see any sense in decorating,” John stated.

“Don’t you get bored, looking at these blank walls all the time,” Joan asked as she approached closer.

John paid her very little attention, “I have plenty to keep me occupied.” He grabbed the eggs out of the refrigerator and placed them on the counter in front of her.

“My late husband was the same way, he passed three years ago, now it’s just me.” She paused as if waiting for John to say something then took another look around, “if you want, I could help you spruce the place up.”

“Nah, I like it how it is,” John shrugged and smiled contently.

“I see,” Joan sighed, sounding defeated.  She headed toward the door, “I should be going, but if you ever need company…”

She was interrupted by knocking on the door. Without asking, Joan opened the door to see Rose standing there, “oh,” she said surprised. “Can I help you with something?”

Rose double checked the number on the door, seemingly confused, “I uh…” she stammered.

“Are you lost dear,” Joan said a little too sweetly.

“Nope, she found me,” John sounded surprised while approaching the door behind Joan.

“Oh,” Joan was caught off guard as she took in Rose’s appearance, she was in jeans and a hoodie, looking quite her age.

Rose stared back at Joan, holding her tongue as she watched the older woman judging her openly. She knew she was young and didn’t like people making assumptions about her all the time. Now the woman wasn’t moving, just blocking the doorway as she stared, and Rose grew impatient. “Sorry but, can you move so I can go inside and see my boyfriend?”

Joan seemed stunned, but eventually moved, stepping out of the flat completely. Rose stepped inside and turned back to Joan, “thanks, bye,” and she shut the door.

John just stood smiling with his hands in his pockets, until Rose turned around with a displeased look. His smile fell, “what?”

Rose crossed her arms and gave him another suspicious look.

John shrugged, “what?”

Rose exhaled, “what was all that about?”

“You mean Joan? She’s just my neighbor, came over to borrow some eggs.”

Rose looked puzzled, “she didn’t leave with any eggs.”

Now John looked equally puzzled, he turned around and saw the eggs still on the counter. “I guess she forgot.”

“Forgot?” Rose repeated, then groaned, “she didn’t come over for eggs, she just wanted to get your attention, and like every other bloke, you fell for it.”

“I didn’t fall for anything,” John countered, “she asked to borrow some eggs and I was just being neighborly.”

Rose’s brow crept higher, “just how neighborly have you been with her, considering you never let me come over.”

“What,” John asked bewildered, “are you accusing me of being unfaithful?”

“No,” Rose sighed, knowing she was being silly, then wrapped her arms around John’s waist, “sorry, I was just caught by surprise when she opened your door and talked to me like I’m some sort of child.”

“Your no child,” John said flirtatiously and kissed her.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Rose teased and kissed him back, squeezing his bum in the process. She pulled away and gazed around the room, “so, this is your flat?”

“Yep,” he held his arms out and gestured around him, “like I said, nothing special. You can look around if you’d like, I promise I don’t have any other women hiding about.”

Rose gave him a playful shove and walked further in, gazing around the room. It was somewhat unusual, she couldn’t picture John having his own flat or settling down for that matter. Of course, by the looks of things, he had no intention of staying, it even looked as if he was prepared to pack up and leave within a moment’s notice.

“Well, I’ll say, it’s exactly what I expected,” Rose told him as she wandered from room to room.

John followed, “what do you mean by that?”

“Nothing really,” Rose turned to him and smiled, “I just don’t see you as the type to have your own place.”

“Yeah, not very domestic, me. Besides, why bother decorating inside when there is so much to see outside of these walls.” Nervously, he scratched the back of his neck as he noticed the bed beside them

Rose noticed his unease and knew his reason for it. Sighing, Rose grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room, “I see a man pull a gun on you and you don’t even bat an eye but the minute you get a girl in your bedroom you start sweating bullets.” She stopped and turned to him, placing her hands on his chest, “I know you’re not ready, although you have me questioning it sometimes, but you don’t have to act like I’m some sex crazed maniac trying to drag you to bed every time I'm with you.”

“I didn’t say you were,” John told her, “and it’s not that I don’t want to, I really would, really…it’s just…”

“Just what,” Rose asked once he trailed off.

John cupped her cheek and traced it with his thumb, her eyes gazed into his, caring and unjudging. At that moment, he knew he could tell her anything, “I’m not worthy of you.”

Rose covered his hand with her own, “I think you’re judging yourself too harshly.”

John smiled and kissed her on the forehead, “I wish I could agree with you, but there are so many things I’ve done that I could never forgive myself for. Things you need to know before you decide if this is what you really want, but I can’t tell you right now.”

Rose’s smile fell, “why?”

There was a knock at the door and John stepped away, “because I’m expecting company, that’s probably Mickey now.”

“Mickey,” Rose sounded surprised, “since when are you mates with Mickey?”

“He said he had a few things he wanted to show me,” John opened the door and instead of just Mickey, Jack was there as well.

Jack greeted John then noticed Rose in the background, “we aren’t interrupting, are we?”

“No,” John said sternly and Rose felt a bit slighted by his reaction to Jack’s comment.

Mickey brushed by them with him laptop, “yeah, well, I brought a few files I snagged off the computer at work.” He took a seat on the sofa and Rose immediately came to sit beside him. He looked over at Rose, with a mix of regret, jealousy, and comfort, all in one expression. He shook his head and focused on his computer, “I’m not sure this will work, but it may help.”

Jack took a seat opposite of Mickey while John sat on the arm beside Rose. Mickey loaded the files and pulled them up for everyone to see. In the file was a complete blueprint of the technology being used in their facial recognition program as well as the results from test runs at a variety of locations.

“They’ve been running several trials, recognizing faces of different people as far as a hundred feet,” he pulled up some examples, “no idea why they would need it from that distance.”

“What’s it being used for,” Rose asked.

"Don't know," Mickey tapped around, “we just help develop it, from there everything is sent to the 5th floor and they take over.”

“Are you sure it’s being used for the phones,” Jack asked, “are they working on some other system for another purpose, maybe.”

“They’re designing it specifically for the phones,” Mickey told him, “they tell us it’s to perfect the security features beyond normal capabilities, that’s all.”

“How did you get these files,” John asked.

Mickey shrugged, “I just waited until I was alone then copied them.”

Jack glanced at John uneasily, “something about this seems fishy.”

“You think,” John said sarcastically. He nudged Rose to move and slid into her spot beside Mickey, pulling her into his lap, “any way of seeing what they do on the 5th floor, since they seem to have all the answers?”

Mickey shook his head, “they use a different server, there’s no way to access it through our computers.”

“So, we need to find a way to tap into their system,” Jack said, “see if we can cross a few wires.” He smiled at John, knowing he would find a way. John was a private man, but one thing Jack knew was that he was also a man of many talents. 

* * *

 

John strolled into the Sat-Nett building confidently, wearing a pair of coveralls, and introducing himself as a new member of maintenance. It was the best way he knew that would give him access to any part of the building without anyone questioning him, aside from the 5th floor like everyone else.

He definitely caught Rose by surprise when he showed up by her desk that afternoon, smiling down at her, “hello.”

Rose gazed into the office behind her, seeing Robert on the phone then turned back to John, whispering, “what are you doing here?”

John held up a toolbox, “fixing a broken light.”

Rose gazed down at his clothing, “oh…OH! Yes, sorry, it’s…um…this way.” She led John into the office pointing at the fixture that mysteriously stopped working that morning.

Robert looked up from his desk, watching them enter and waved to acknowledge them, still talking on the phone. John looked over at Robert, then back to Rose, then back to Robert again. He hadn’t seen a picture of Robert before and didn’t expect him to look so well put together. He took a deep breath and began to work.

Rose looked over at Robert, still busy with his call, then leaned over to John speaking quietly, “do you know what you’re doing?”

“Of course I do,” John smiled, “maintenance, me.”

Rose smiled and shook her head, “right…sorry.” From behind, she heard Robert calling to her.

“Belle? Can you give him some space, I don’t want to see my lovely secretary get zapped by accident.”

John glanced at her then returned to his work, rolling his eyes in the process.

“Yeah, I should get back to my desk,” Rose smiled and began to back away.

“Actually,” Robert stopped her, “can you get me a coffee?”

“Sure,” Rose said pleasantly then glanced at John once more, wondering what his plan was then stepped out.

Robert got to his feet and came up beside John, “are you new here? I wasn’t aware we were in need of any new maintenance people.”

“Just a temp,” John said and freed the fixture from the wall, “filling in for one of your other guys while he’s gone on holiday.”

“I see,” Robert observed him for a moment, “and you’re familiar with this type of work?”

“Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” John told him pleasantly.

“Well, I’ll let you carry on with what you’re doing,” Robert patted his shoulder and walked back to his desk, missing John’s headshake with annoyance.

Rose reappeared, carrying Robert’s coffee, and placed it on his desk.

Robert took a sip and hummed in approval, “perfect as always,” he smiled at her and winked.

“Dammit,” John cried out and Rose spun around to see him shaking his hand from a burn.

“Alright there, friend,” Robert asked amused.

John sighed and nodded, “yeah, I’m gonna have to come back later tonight and cut the power before I can do any more.”

“Well, I have a meeting at four, you can do it then,” Robert told him.

John nodded and started cleaning up his tools, “four it is, I have a few other things to tend to until then.” He picked up the fixture that he removed and put it on a shelf, noticing a case holding a figurine.

“I see you’re admiring my Egyptian goddess statue,” Robert said proudly, “it the goddess Neith, I was told it’s from around the 3rd century, b.c.”

John gazed closer, “too bad it’s fake.”

Robert approached, “I assure you it’s not, I bought it from an authentic dealer who told me that it’s a relic.”

John shrugged, “he lied, or maybe he isn’t very knowledgeable about these things. Look here,” he pointed toward the side of the figure, “you can see were the seam from the mold had been filed away. Also, a figure like this would have been more detailed, not to mention you can see the bronze showing through in some parts.”

“I take it you’re some sort of expert,” Robert asked disdainfully.

“Sort of, yeah,” John beamed proudly, “been to Egypt, me. Even got to assist on an archeological dig once, not as much fun as they make it look on tele.”

Rose snorted a small laugh and tried playing it off as a cough, poorly.

“It isn’t,” John said to her, noticing her amusement, “three weeks I was out there, in the sun, barely scratched the surface before I had to make a hasty retreat.”

“I paid £5000 for this,” Robert said in disbelief.

“I hope you kept your receipt,” John said, but Robert didn’t find his comment very humorous.

Rose couldn’t stop grinning at John and turned away when Robert looked toward her. “Um,” she said while inching toward the door, “I have a few things to finish before lunch,” then she bolted before she ended up breaking into laughter.

John picked up his toolbox, “I should be getting back to work, I’ll come back later and finish with the light.” He stepped out as Robert still stared at the statue, feeling insulted. Walking past Rose, John flashed her a wide grin and she playfully shook her head at him. She missed having moments like these.  


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, lots of things happen here. Sorry in advance for the cliffhangers in this chapter, there are a few. I'm working as fast as I can to finish the next chapter, which will be very angsty and somewhat violent, just warning you ahead of time.

It was just barely four when John arrived back at Rose’s desk.

“Egypt you say,” Rose asked in amusement, referring to John’s earlier interaction with Robert.

John nodded, “not such a bad place, not as long as you know where to go and who to talk to.”

“Would you recommend it,” she enquired, “for someone like me?”

“I think with the right guide, you’d enjoy it,” John hinted smugly.

“Hmmm,” she hummed, “are there any you recommend?” She rested her chin on her hand and fluttered her eyelashes a bit. Nothing wrong with a little flirting in the workplace, she thought.

“I might know a guy,” he winked, and Rose wanted nothing more than to snog that self-assured smile off his face.

He gazed into Robert’s office, still seeing him inside talking on the phone as before.

“He’ll be leaving in a mo,” Rose mentioned, “he’s always running late, knowing they can’t start without him.”

John nodded then leaned his hip against the edge of her desk, crossing his arms in the process, “how about you, what time do you get off?” His voice was smooth and the look he was giving her made her want to melt.

“Five,” she replied.

John looked at his watch, “you got a bloke waiting for you?”

“Depends,” she replied teasingly.

“On what,” he asked, his eyes locked on hers

“On whether he’s working late or not,” she hinted.

“Well, if his reward for finishing work was coming home to you,” his eyes trailed down her body briefly, “I’m sure he would be doing whatever it takes to get done quickly.”

Rose’s cheeks felt heated and she wanted to keep this game going, but Robert finally emerged from his office, stopping in his tracks when he saw John’s casual posture beside Rose’s desk. He looked as if he was going to say something to John, but then he shut his mouth. Instead, he addressed Rose, “I’m headed out now. I probably won’t be coming back after that, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Ok,” Rose said, averting his gaze, and hoped the reddening of her cheeks wasn’t as obvious as it felt.

John grabbed his bag and headed toward the office when Robert stopped him midway, “I didn’t get your name earlier.”

“John,” he replied, “John Smith.”

Robert’s eyes searched his inquisitively, then pointed toward his office, “well, it’s all yours Mr. Smith.” He then waved goodbye to Rose and stopped to study John one last time before heading off.

“I guess I should get to it then,” John said to Rose, picking up where they had left off before Robert interrupted them, “and I better hurry, I don’t want to be stuck working late.”

Rose looked up at him and he smiled back at her alluringly, making the blush in her cheeks return with full force. She quickly turned away and John retreated to the office to get to work.

Once he was gone, Rose tried returning to her own task, finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate now that John got her all worked up. He’s always been a little flirtatious with her, but this recent exchange was far more intense than usual. Her mind began to wander, imagining herself walking into that office and taking him right on top of Robert’s desk, although she knew that would be a horrible idea. She tried to shake the thought away when another thing John said came to mind and Rose got curious.

She went into the office, but instead of finding John working on the light, he was at Robert's computer, searching through the wires. He looked up from his work as she approached, but didn’t stop what he was doing. Quietly she asked him, “how come you gave him your name when Mickey and I have to use false names?”

“I’m nobody,” John stated as if it were a fact, “you and Mickey have homes, friends, families, where as I’m just a ghost.” He tugged a couple of cords loose and began inspecting them, “I don’t exist.”

Rose’s brow furrowed as she tried making sense of what he said, “wait…”

John stopped and stared out the door, then looked back at Rose, “I promise, I’ll explain later, but right now is not the time.” He motioned his head toward the door, “can you just go back out there and make sure Robert doesn’t try coming back.”

Rose sighed and exited the office, still wondering what John meant and as soon as this whole thing was over, she was going to find out. 

* * *

At half past four Rose suddenly saw Robert returning and she leapt to her feet, speaking loudly so John could hear, “Mr. Greyson, back so soon?” She approached him, hoping to slow him down, giving John time to cover his tracks.

Robert came to a stop, “only for a minute, I was walking into the restaurant when I realized I forgot my notes.”

“Oh,” Rose replied, “I suppose that’s important.”

“Yeah,” Robert chuckled, “it’s always important to keep good notes, that way you don’t overlook anything.” He began stepping around Rose and she blocked his path again, causing him to nearly collide with her.

“Uh,” she smiled widely at him, not wanting to appear flirtatious, but knowing it might buy them some time, “maybe you can show me how I can help you with that,” she swallowed uncomfortably with remorse for how her voice dropped as if it were suggestive, “if it helps.” She felt her stomach churning with disgust over her own behavior and kept telling herself, she’s just helping John, so he wouldn’t get caught.

Of course it worked, and Robert paused as he considered her words, then held up his index finger, “one moment.” He stepped around her quickly and dashed into his office.

Rose followed Robert, praying John had enough time to clean up and was relieved to find him back at the light he was supposed to be fixing.  He gave her a sidelong glance and Rose knew he heard everything and hoped he knew she was only acting.

Robert grabbed his notes and stopped beside John, “all good?”

“Yep,” John said, flicked the switch, and the light came on, “all fixed.” He began cleaning up his tools and Robert left the room.

Stopping by Rose, Robert told her, “you know, you’re right, I could use help with these notes,” and handed her the notepad. “I can barely read my own writing. Grab your things and come with me, I’ll show you what needs to be done.”

“Oh,” Rose uttered and looked at the time.

“Technically, your still on the clock,” Robert added, speaking with authority for once, “besides, it’ll only be an hour and you’ll get a free dinner out of it.”

“Uh, ok,” Rose mumbled and grabbed her purse, glancing toward John who was still in the office and gave him an apologetic look.

John finished cleaning up, glancing back toward the computer hoping he put everything back in order then looked back at the door catching Robert giving him a smug look as he led Rose away, placing his hand gently on her back. It was a challenge move by a man who was used to winning all the time, but John knew Rose was not a conquest and Robert was not going to win. 

* * *

 

Rose was feeling out of place as she sat at the table with Robert and three older businessmen, who all seemed far too interested in her and not what they were supposed to be meeting about.

The “meeting,” or so they called it, was merely ten minutes of chatter involving several numbers and acronyms which Robert could have easily written himself, he didn’t really need her there. That didn’t keep him from leaning against her as he attempted to assist her in her note taking, leaning close to her ear as he spoke. Then once his hand brushed against her knee, Rose jerked away and shoved her purse between them as a sign for him to back off.

When the dinner finally ended, Rose was quick to escape, hurrying out of the restaurant and looking at her phone as if she were busy texting someone.

“Do you need a ride home,” Robert asked kindly, following quickly behind her, “it’s getting dark and it’s the least I could do since I kept you out so late.”

“Uh, no,” Rose said, looking up from her phone and spotted a nearby café. Pointing toward it, she found the perfect escape, “it just so happens I had plans on meeting a friend over there in a few minutes.”

“Oh,” Robert said dejectedly, “well, I suppose this is goodnight.”

He leaned forward as if to hug her, or worse kiss her, and Rose leaned away and stuck out her hand, “goodnight Mr. Greyson,” she emphasized the name, reminding him that he was overstepping his boundaries.

“Goodnight Rose,” he smiled and took her hand gently, holding on little longer than she was comfortable with. She pulled away and darted across the street toward the café, hoping Robert wasn’t going to follow her.

As she stood in line her skin began to crawl as she felt like she was being watched. Trying to busy herself, she pulled out her wallet when there was a tap on her shoulder making her jump and her wallet fell to the floor.

“Sorry about that,” she heard David say as he bent down and retrieved it, handing it to her.

“David,” she sighed in relief and wrapped him in a hug, grateful she was no longer alone and he wasn’t Robert.

David pulled back and looked at her with bright eyes, “hello.”

“Hey,” she took a step away, “sorry, I was afraid you were someone else.”

David frowned, “is everything all right?”

“Yeah, it’s just…nevermind,” she walked up to the counter, realizing she had been holding up the line and ordered.

After receiving their drinks, they sat down together at a table. David smiled at Rose, “it seems we have a tendency of running into each other in coffee shops.”

Rose giggled, “yeah, wait, aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

David nodded in response, “holiday, so I decided to come home and surprise Donna for her birthday. I didn’t know she had a date though, so I’m on my own tonight. How about you, I thought you said you were traveling?”

“We got caught up with something here,” Rose said, “hopefully we’ll be wrapping up soon, I’m ready to get out and see the world again.”

“By “we” you mean you and…”

“John,” Rose responded and looked down at her cup bashfully and smiled, “we’re…um…we’re together now.”

David stared at her dumbly, then his eyebrows raised, “Oh…that’s great.”

“Yeah,” Rose giggled and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. As happy as she was to get away from Robert, she was now in the middle of a highly awkward conversation. Her phone suddenly began to ring and she felt a wave of relief. 

 

* * *

 

 When five o’ clock rolled around John mysteriously appeared by Mickey's side, surprising him. With most of the staff gone, John went right to work, rerouting the wires of his computer.

“What are you doing,” Mickey whispered anxiously, he looked up to see if anyone was watching then leaned back down to see what John was up to.

John stood up, “log on and see what you get.”

Mickey powered up the computer and John pretended to repair a nearby panel, then Mickey’s eyes widened, “how did you do that?” He clicked open a series of folders he didn’t have access to before.

“Genius, me,” John gave a self-satisfied smile, “think you can copy them like you did the others?”

Mickey reached into his bag and pulled out a memory stick, “yeah, I think so.” He plugged it in and began transferring. As he waited, he looked over at John as he worked on the panel, or pretended to anyway, and wondered how he could be so casual right now.

“Done,” Mickey said and pulled out the stick and hopped to his feet.

John resumed working with his back to him, “go home and I’ll meet you there, I wanna see what they’re hiding.”

Once Mickey was gone, John crept over to his computer, reversing what he had done before leaving as well.

John strolled to the lift nonchalantly and pressed the button for the ground floor. Once the doors shut, however, he began going up. Confused, John hit the button again, but it was useless, he was still ascending. He reached the fifth floor and the elevator came to a stop, only the doors didn’t open. Instead, gas started filling the air and John looked up for an escape, but before he could find one he blacked out. 

* * *

 

Mickey hurried to his flat, eager to see what was on these new files. John didn’t say how long he would be, but he figured he could get a head start. He started his laptop and put the stick in, opening the files. At first, it was just typical test runs like he was used to seeing. Then he saw a file marked, “camera.” He clicked on that and a series of names and phone numbers appeared. Mickey clicked one at random and froze at what he saw.

If he was correct, he was getting live video straight off somebody’s phone. He noticed a plus sign in the corner and he clicked it and the camera changed. It was the same room, only a different angle, possibly from another nearby phone. A woman crossed the room and Mickey noticed a flash and another plus sign appear above her head.

Mickey’s hand was shaking as he scrolled over to it and clicked. A small box appeared to the lower right corner as a photo of the woman appeared, below the photo was her full name, age, occupation, address, as well as several other pieces of information. Then at the very bottom was the word, “locate,” and Mickey clicked on it.

“Oh fuck,” he gasped when a map appeared indicating exactly where the video was currently being taken. He checked the time, hoping John would be there soon, then he grabbed his phone and immediately called Jack.

Jack answered on the first ring, “Harkness…” he said pleasant as ever.

“Jack, it’s Mickey,” he spoke quickly, “I’m not sure if I can speak over the phone, but you need to come by my flat now!”

As easily as Jack could have made a joke, the urgency in Mickey’s voice let him know that this was important. He ran for his keys, “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he assured him and hurried out.

Mickey went back to the list, scrolling through hundreds of names. The first name that came to mind was Rose and he went through finding nothing. Remembering that Rose still carried her old phone on her and not one of the newer Rebel phones. He then searched her alias name, found it, and clicked. It was black, which would make sense if it was in her purse. There were several plus signs at all angles and with each click, Mickey got a different view of the café, including Rose sitting at a table with David, drinking her coffee.

A new symbol resembling a video camera appeared in the upper right-hand corner. Clicking that, he got a view from every security camera in the vicinity, including the ones from the street.

Mickey grabbed his phone again, calling Rose. He watched on the screen as she went into her purse, pulled out her phone, and answered.

“Hello,” she asked.

“Rose,” Mickey said, “I need you to come to my flat right now.”

Confused, Rose asked, “why?”

“You’re in a coffee shop, right” Mickey asked, “with David?”

Rose stiffened, “yeah, how did you know?”

“Because I see you,” Mickey said, and he watched Rose staring around, “no, I’m not there, I’m watching you on camera. I can’t explain, just come to my flat right now. Jack and John are already on their way.”

Once the call ended, there was a knock at the door. “Finally,” Mickey called out, assuming it was John and went for the door, “there’s some freaky shi-” he froze when he realized it wasn’t John or Jack at the door, but two large men.

 

* * *

 

Back in the coffee shop, Rose ended the call, saying “ok, I’ll be right there,” before hanging up. She turned to David who seemed really confused and blurted out, “I gotta go.” She sprang to her feet, leaving her coffee behind and dashed out the door.

She was nearly down the street when a car screeched to a halt and she saw Robert peering back at her from inside. She backed away and hit something solid, realizing it was another man blocking her path. The car door opened, and she was forced inside.


End file.
